Frances Wilks
How to sell death to the Living
Frances Wilks ‘How To Sell Death to the Living’ looks at a world dominated by large corporations, consumerism and the all pervasive materialism where men’s success is measured by the shine and speed of their cars.
Frances Wilks confronts the male dominance of formula 1 by implanting herself within the work, replacing a man in almost every picture to challenge a media that traditionally excludes women. She utilises the lack of female appearances in Formula 1 to question gender notions and explore new possibilities for the traditional representation of masculinity.
Her paintings are reminiscent of early Marlboro, Ferrari and Champion advertising and the language of men’s magazines with their vibrant colours and graphic compositions. They are, according to Frances, ’racing cars in capitalist colours’. They are images that that question the speed of life.
