Disjointed Sides

Disjointed sides of a once-proud wardrobe lean tall against a brick wall, propping up the metal guts of a tired bedstead, as aged, skew-legged dining chairs recline in a pile by a misshapen sofa, its skin split, revealing a bloated burst of padding and springs. A stained, ripped lampshade lays upturned; its torn fabric flaps in the breeze, casting a dancing shadow over its abandoned wasteland landscape, read about it all in Disjointed Sides.

Image left-hand side, Danger of Death (Hackney Wick), 2019 in situ ©Doug Haywood

BÄDBÆD & KRAPCHÄYR New Cross 2020 ©Doug Haywood

Meet Doug Haywood, an artist whose works are honed from the streets of East London. Inspired by his immediate environment, the dirt, noise, and colours, his works highlight the dialogue between authority and creativity. Where, for example, council road signs end up covered in artists’ graffiti; this becomes his starting point.

His ‘palette’ are items paused in limbo, left on the street, on the boundary between old and new, preloved yet discarded, forsaken and rejected; this artist reappropriates found objects or readymades, embellishing them to create statement works.

For him, there is something beautiful and mysterious about these familiar domestic objects, forming new shapes and compositions just as they sit on pavements. The detritus of others becomes his beautiful materials and aesthetics.

‘Graffragment Mountain’, 2020 Collage. Graffiti fragments, paper, spray paint, reflective silver paint. Framed & signed 7.5 x 4.5 cm ©Doug Haywood

He asks… Who slept in that bed? What hung in that wardrobe? What trinkets were secreted away in those drawers? If these relics could talk, what stories would they tell? Discarded as someone else’s problem, or a gift, depending on your perspective.

Deep Excavations (Nasty Fandango), 2019. (Signs of Insecurity series). Warning sign, spray paint, acrylic paint, ink, stickers. Framed & signed 73 x 53 cm ©Doug Haywood

Born and raised on the Isle of Wight, abundant with untouched beaches and rolling green downland, East London’s urban metropolis is the counter opposite of Doug’s former turf and so for him, this melange is his inspiration.

Manipulating sourced materials from his locality, Doug collates and presents layers of offcuts and discarded, ignored items, highlighting their overseen beauty, ironically juxtaposed with their original intent, often presented with a touch of humour.

Forensic Marking, 2019. (Signs of Insecurity series)Security Sign, spray paint, ink, acrylic paint. Framed &signed ©Doug Haywood

Embracing graffiti sprayed boards, decayed authoritarian security, traffic signage, and development promotions, these items exist as abstract expressions layered of graffiti tags and stickers, billboards, and paste-ups vying for attention.

Where Postvandalism is fast becoming an established term for artists working within the boundaries of the great outdoors; change, decay and interaction play a crucial role in our challenged ‘sustainable’ world. this term emphasizes such artists as those who see beauty in the throwaway and potential in discarded materials.

From Duchamp and his readymades to the walking artists such as Richard Long the celebration of the wonder of the great outdoors, this set of artists bring their urban reclaimed pieces reworked readymades to the gallery space for us to rest our eyes upon and wonder on our journey.

Take Notice, 2020 Security Sign, Spray Paint Framed, signed 73 x 53

Doug’s process and ideas are showcased on his Instagram page as well as his website AntiFreeze with a range of editions and unique works available to view and purchase.

Find out more and buy works here AntiFrieze.art

Instagram @Doug Haywood and anti_frieze

If you enjoyed this article disjointed sides, why not read Good Boys Here