Artist Statement
Throughout his practice, Derek Franklin consistently directs his distinct poetic and imaginative sensibility of the stage to think about the historical material conditions that structure everyday life, which the artist has described as “a theatre of survival, looking towards the way human rituals of care create interior spaces as a form of resistance against exterior forces of violence.” His multifaceted projects using paintings along with sculptural elements, draw loosely on constructivist theatre design, and uniquely places us in our own awkward humanness using unconventional materials, humor, and hope as a strategy for critique on the most quotidian of stages, that of the household.
What does one do to cope with violence that is both overt and invisibly woven into the structures of society? Franklin focuses on specific actions: the daily rituals that may include food and drink or the arrangement of flowers plucked from the garden.
