Image description: Incomplete textile weaving of the meme character Pepe’s eye, with thread dangling out from it in a tangled mess. It is unclear whether it is being constructed of deconstructed.
My practice is informed by forms of autonomous anti-fascist organising, seeking to address the rising tide of right wing populism online and explore how their rhetoric has coded itself into obfuscating imagery and language. The work parodies obscure internet communities that are born out of reactionary ideology, taking particular interest social media platforms like 4-chan’s /pol board where the boundaries between different political and socially disenfranchised bodies overlap, leading toward radicalising their user base.
My work addresses this ideology from a personal perspective, embracing the sense of futility and disempowerment that comes with acknowledging the rising tide of right wing populism. Through craft, I hope to reveal the petty and flawed logic this reactionary ideology builds itself upon, providing a moment of levity and relief in the face of a growing threat. The perspective this work uses is reflected through its materials and process, combining an amateurish approach to craft mediums like textile weaving with a kitsch digital aesthetic. Through this practice, I am attempting to push back against far-right narratives and promote the broader abolition of oppressive economic, racial, patriarchal, heteronormative, and cisnormative structures.
Instagram: @_ak_official
Twitter: @alex_and_ross
Email: alexkarpathios@yahoo.co.uk