If you type ‘Blue Monday’ into Google, the first result will always come up with the New Order classic by the British rock band of the same name. But it'll then tell you that the date 'Blue Monday' falls on the 16th of January and is, according to ‘Science’, the ‘gloomiest day of the year’. This day has been ‘awarded’ the search engine tells us this title thanks to it falling between the period where the Christmas Blues are at their peak; be it the unpaid credit card bills, cold-dark nights or the idea that Spring is still a long way off. So, wanting to give people a way to express their blues, I thought I’d offer up this month’s feature as place where someone could send in artworks that evoked sad, nostalgic or sombre feelings.
For art may be thought of as visual story-telling, but we also shouldn’t forget that there exists a strong desire amongst us humans to understand and subsequently articulate those tales that we see. Indeed, without such an inclination, this magazine, along with all our other art mags, journals, critics, tv shows and university seminars, could not exist. In that regard, much like our artworks, what has always been very much apparent amongst us sapiens is an inherent desire to ex- press our thoughts and feelings; which we often, much to our detriment, don’t do. This mag however, recognises that our thoughts are artworks in themselves and that to convey them can be incredibly beneficial to our mental health. It also acknowledges, moreover, that the very act of shedding light on our thoughts helps to remind others that they aren’t alone in theirs. On that note, I am pleased to introduce to you the deeply evocative works of John Hicks:
'I’m John Hicks, Artist, Designer and High school teacher of Art and Photography, living in South Wales.These 4 images are part of a series of 23 and counting, based on a mental health theme. I’ve seen the mental health of people in my life greatly impacted in recent years. These images were cathartic to paint, hopefully they are cathartic to view. Each image is 120 x 90cm oil paint on canvas. The series is currently being exhibited online via the Influx gallery, all available for purchase.'
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