Beth Barlow

 

«"The Norm" was born whilst walking back from the shop carrying my shopping. My weekly local shop and the walk home provide me with good food, social life, culture and exercise. I know this might not be normal. Normal modern life might denote a quick dash to a shop after a long day at work, then off to the gym and maybe a drive to somewhere remote. There were so many societal concepts to unpick just within that one set of differences but how to express that? Cartoon strips have not been my natural art form but it seemed like the most efficient way to tell this story and encourage thought on various norms. My art work often takes fairly contentious or difficult issues and veils them in less daunting forms. Through this people will approach and are embroiled in the discursive and conceptual elements of a piece before they realise its tricky subject. Then I find conversation of a deep nature often occurs with less blocks and insecurities. The image here is the first cell from the strip and two
others from the 3 episodes. We are introduced to Norm and Norman and the idea that they are similar but whittled into different people by the worlds in which they live. The pair go on to live a day in their own lives before being magically catapulted into the others world. Who will thrive and survive? Will a good willed world alter Norm? Will Norman be elevated by modern aspirations? Will they each have any influence on their own new world?»

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Beth Barlow (@bethbarlow13 and www.bethbarlow.com), The Norm, 2021, the cartoon strip is hand draw in pen and coloured using watercolour and pencil; the world of Norm is in grey pencil and Norma's world in watercolour, 14 x 18 cm

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Front:

various text