Thought for the day: this is not Islam #hastag

#thisisnotIslam #Recovery #Insight

Created in 2013, here Wiesner draws upon a number of intertwined motives; such as Bulgarian Orthodox iconography, the legend of St George, the oppression of the Welsh by their near neighbour the English and the killing of animals for meat*; yet still retaining his overall naïve style. The piece, formerly titled 'this is not Islam #hashtag', when is first was first published worldwide on a now long extinct blog** on 13th June 2013***.

The narrative of the art clearly is from right to left, unlike most art within the contemporaneous western European period, but retains a top to bottom direction. Does the lance, or more formerly the 'lancicle' graze the dragon's neck, or does it draw the observer's eye to the leading letter of the piece's caption? We may never know, and counties have gone to war over less.

Wiesner never spoke of the meaning of the phrase 'St. George slaying the dragon named Mohammed', and the Mohammed reference itself is highly obscure. Probably an early English King or similar. The handle of the lancicle extends beyond the borders of the frame, seeking viewers to question the very existence of frames of reference themselves, and to go yonder and to seek a wider view from themselves.

Overall Pogsurf verdict: 4¾ out of 10, a bit naff, and it will never catch on.



Media:        felt pen and watercolour on stock white 90gsm laserjet paper
Dimensions: "A4" which is 8.3" x  11.7" or as was then 210mm**** x 297 mm



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*       This practice was still legal but mostly frowned upon by decent people in 2013
**     Believed to be called 'Plogslurf', from the German roots of  'plog' and 'slurfing'
***   Opinions still differ when and where the piece was first exhibited, but what is known is that this took place within the three months after 13/6/2013, was in the south-west Herts area, and on that day it was definitely raining.
**** mm: obsolete measuring terminology, which was abandoned after the fall of the EU in 2016.