The three Orders

Triptych from 2021/22

Format : 3 x 71x81
Acrylics and pigment on cotton

‘The Three Orders’ triptych title derives from a term to describe societal organization in early medieval Europe, which consisted of the Priesthood, the Knighthood and the Peasantry. In a backlash to ancient times the Individual was reduced to its’ function and standing in society. These functions were not exchangeable and did not allow any form of transition from one to the other.
It took almost a thousand years for the Individual to emerge as an agent, who could influence the orders of society (Martin Luther’s reformation and the ensuing peasant revolt in Germany i.e) I am particularly interested in the cognitive impairment of the Individual during these times and the inability to recognize the ubiquitous quality of the human being as an agent of change.