Category: politics

Red pointed hats

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My social media bubble has been full of red pointy hats for the last few weeks. Other people claim they’ve seen nothing about them.

Thousands of years ago, slaves were given a red hat when they were freed. Versions of the Phrygian hat, pileus or liberty cap have been worn during various times since then. In 1979 I found an engraving from the 1790s which I used to illustrate an A level needlework essay. The people caricatured were wearing red hats and a thin red ribbon around their necks.

The same characters who were offended by pink hats with cat ears a few years ago are complaining about red pointy hats now. Apparently the hats shouldn’t be red. Allegedly they’re just a protest uniform and they’re not enough practical effort. Money raised from knitting pattern sales has been donated to families affected by immigration raids.

Water drop coaster

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Knitted cotton square
The wrong side of the knitting
Blue drop on white background
The horizontal view

There was a crochet pattern in a recent Water Aid magazine that arrived in the post. The picture looked like a white christmas tree. I wondered if the water drop would work as a knitted illusion. If I’d used the right size needles it might have looked better.

Reformation

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Refute, blue and grey graphite on cardboard

This is the fastest protest sign I’ve ever made. It’s not particularly successful. Nobody will have changed their minds after seeing it.

We went to a place where a Reform group was meeting. They’re popular here because voters feel let down by other political parties. The people were mostly friendly on arrival, some were pleased to see protesters. Others were blatantly hostile and are clearly professional narrow minded bigots.

A couple of elections ago there was a chart showing the similarities between seemingly different types of voters. Everyone wants their children to have a better education than they had. Everyone hopes to be in good health, with access to relevant medical care if they become ill. Many people are suspicious of anyone who seems different. Reform fans claim they are not racist but they don’t like incomers. This is often said by people who have retired here from elsewhere.

Slimming World poster

We might have been in the wrong place. It could really have been an evening about eating more salads and stretching the muscles more often.

White Poppy

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Linocut of a white poppy
Lino block with sketch

When this lino block was first cut, a long time ago, it was going to be printed in pale subtle colours. Something on the news the other day while choosing inks made me reach for scarlet and emerald green instead.

The block is similar to an unfinished print from even longer ago. As a teenager I liked the idea of nature reclaiming damaged land. Maybe it’s still a nice idea. The white poppy has symbolised pacifism for nearly a century. Weapons are presumably more profitable but mediation and peaceful resolution has a preferable outcome.

Climate

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Exhibition poster with sun and fog among the words

Art & Poetry won’t change anything. There again, the opportunity to look at everything from a different perspective might affect future behaviour.

Pembrokeshire Green Party is reviving slowly. West Wales has many people who are doing their best to not cause harm to their surroundings. Joining a political movement doesn’t appeal to most of us. It’s good to know there are others who would never support right wing policies. Hopefully this short exhibition will inspire someone to clean a river, stop building houses with leaky roofs, maybe remove all the obstacles to living well.

Pembrokeshire is also home to some narrow minded bigots. They will say climate change isn’t real. There can’t be any pollution here and the sun shines constantly. It does, it’s shining right now, behind some clouds. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but they are also entitled to look outside occasionally and observe the world. The planet evolves, the temperature changes. Arguing about whether humans have damaged the environment is less important than thinking about how to live without making everything worse.

Full Cold Moon

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Linocut on Japanese paper, 12 x 12 cm.

Full cold moon; a time when we’re naturally accelerated, energy is flowing and things will naturally come to a conclusion. Time to consider that ridiculous ten year project which we can now let go of.

Today’s full moon coincides with a general election. There was a double rainbow in the sky when I went out to vote.

Banner

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Protest banners should be light enough to carry while walking along, but heavy enough to stay upright and readable. This week’s ripstop on net banner is for the Hart Must Go! event.

It has a blue deer, symbolic of the local Tory MP. A hart is a deer, lacking the ‘e’ of an organ that pumps blood. The blue deer is being chased away by some red foxes. Local MP enjoys bloodsports so that’s a relevant theme. The general election is in December so this banner looks slightly festive.

But it’s too hard to understand! I know, I know, it shouldn’t need an explanation.