piers alsop - like an ancient day
Piers employs imitation and, at times, backhanded homage as a means of questioning power structures. He frequently references other artists' work and the wider art world with a wry smile, highlighting its relationship to belief. The constant devouring and humorous regurgitation of art history suggests at once a cock of the head; a questioning reverence coupled with a natural suspicion. He says, 'It’s not so dissimilar to what cavemen did. I paint the beasts I depend on for survival’.
Piers constantly probes at the concept of truth, questioning both religion and art, both of which create frameworks for doubt as well as faith . Never short of humour, the paintings manage these more philosophical dimensions with a light touch, as if to recognise the vanity of such pursuits.