Minion Madness: a Compromise Between the Art of the Past and the Art of the Present

My Yellow Friends

They are yellow. They are the color of sunshine and happiness. Just looking at them puts a smile on my face and the faces of millions of others. Young and old alike, people find themselves a kindred spirit in minion kind. Any time a minion is in the picture, it suddenly becomes relatable.

Although they do not say much, they are expressive beyond words. They have created a malleable shorthand for a vast emotional spectrum. Through the simplicity of expression, they communicate any number of thoughts and feelings. Through them, I can project my own experiences and opinions.

‘Standing Together,’ personifies my experience as a child visiting art galleries with my friends and family. I always felt as if I was that person trying to whisper throughout a movie and being told to ‘shush.’ Here I am in minion form expressing every one of my moods. From wide-eyed in shock at the beauty of a painting I have never seen before, to the giggling child inside of me laughing at a silly smile or awkward pose.

Now a pervasive cultural reference these stylized characters have pushed their way into every aspect of our society. So for me, I cannot see any reason as to why they would not also be in an art gallery or sitting at the table of The Last Supper. Often when I view a classic work of art, I think to myself what it would be like to be inside that painting. At that moment, with those figures, what would I say? How would my face read? I feel that through minions, I can answer all of these questions and more.

One such example was when I was on holiday in a city far away from home. Visiting the city gives me a heavy feeling, as though somebody is stepping on my head. I feel overwhelmed by the crowded streets and the fast-moving pace that every animal, car, and human seams to keep. I express this feeling in my painting ‘Running On The Street.’ I was afraid at that moment that somebody was literally going to step on my head.