The Politics of Despair

The Politics of Despair is a series of collage works which critique the leadership which governs us. In each image a new voice is collated from the use of a character from a classic painting juxtaposed with a contemporary image. In the cold oil of the characters we see a humanity threatened by the photo realism of our bankruptcy in politics. The pain and suffering is obvious to all except those who would set themselves beyond the lives of ordinary people. Their decisions are not about the well being of all but the safety and security of a few. When money is the god of the global worship then the Politics of Despair is all any political system can offer.

Takayama critiques this offer with imagery which makes plain the efficiency and morality of the world of power today. ‘Bull in a China Shop’ is a particularly grim view of the future as we witness the decades in which the super power of world politics is challenged. Whilst ‘The Princess and the Dragon’ provides a stark and damning view of a world in which destruction is around every corner. The artist’s use of collage to give voice to such concerns delivers her use of juxtaposition on the perfect artistic platform. In these works this technique is clearly exposed and we can see how Takayama constructs her critiques with reference to a history of art and a history of our times.