Remember how we laughed away the hours? Nothing seems the way it used to be. Those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end…
When I made this piece for a collage exhibition at ihamnft in Paris, called “Edited World”, I was thinking how quickly and drastically events can turn for the better or for the worse. Our own personal worlds of happiness can be edited and changed by no fault of our own. And to never take it for granted.
I listened to Mary Hopkins’ song “Those Were The Days” on repeat for a week, a deepcut which partly inspired the piece. Her haunting words encapsulate this feeling to a T. Give her a listen, one of those grand forgotten British songs of yesteryear. But I was also thinking about an old Twilight Zone episode “People Are Alike Everywhere”. And we are.
Any place at any time with any group of people, we often laugh away our hours and only realize what we had once it was lost. So I looped it to symbolize that good times can return just as quickly as they left. And there will be a time again where we raise a glass or two to celebrate it.

The tavern symbolizes a communal gathering, a watering hole of like minds that stands the test of time, good or bad. To show we still have that metaphorical place to come together in solidarity and resolve.

So when you think of your own happy times, will you celebrate them in the moment or look back once that time has passed and celebrate them then?

Because those happier days are never guaranteed and can succumb to change in an instant.