As part of a project for a mid-degree show, ‘An Aptitude for Service’ was a series of paintings that had developed from a narrative between the electricity we use to power everyday things, and the physical entity of a pylon that transmits it. This relationship manifested itself into a narrative that placed the pylon at the centre of our energy needs, and therefore would become something that we needed to rely on. This narrative then became my focus for illustrating our dependency on these (now ordinary) forms of steel and wires. Although this reasoning sounds like a negative way of showing dependency on energy and electricity, it was focussed more on showing these pylons as a comforting figure, one that not only provided power, but gave the reassurance that it would be there. Also as this pylon in particular has always been at the centre of the block where i live, it has been a landmark that stands for home, and, along with the telephone wire that is right outside my house, provides some sort of comfort that romantically suggests to my subconscious mind that all of the electrical comforts in my life (such as wifi, chargers, light bulbs and the fridge) are there to help provide a normal modern day life that i have to rely on.
Emma Denby 