County Lines - Obliterated Youth
“County Lines” is a term used to describe the transportation of drugs from one area to another, usually by children or vulnerable people who are coerced into it by gangs. The 'County Line' is the mobile phone line used to take the orders of drugs. (https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/).
This subject is of immense interest to me. It is where inequality of opportunity, addiction, parenting, the fierceness of human nature, death, the desire to survive, and luck all collide.
From research and personal experience I have painted a broad story of two girls growing up in a town where drug use is rife.
I used a technique called “stain painting” (using paint on wet unprimed canvas), my intention was to create some random bleed and through throwing some of the paint onto the canvas, capture some violence movement. The red colour is harsh, I want these to be almost too much to look at in detail, like real life.
In contrast the white lines define forms and cage them in, the white lines are a nod to cocaine, the drugs which shape these stories. The white line is also similar to that of a cartoon line, appropriate, I think, for depicting the stories told by naive children.
Give it a name so i can own it, 30 x16inch , acrylic on canvas
Two girls are born (top left) their mothers push them in prams and discuss their relationship status, the love hate fists symbolise some domestic unrest. A train appears to be coming toward the children in the prams, this signifies the impending doom and more literally the shop which this image is based around did one day drop a huge train by the side of the pavement for storage (odd but true). I picked the shop as the starting point for the story to set the context, if you need money, everything is for sale. Many of the objects have some notion of cultural appropriation - the Elvis albums, the snow globes from around the world, religious figures, lucky charms, indigenous Australian art, football club scarves, a range of hats and masks. I selected these objects and use them through the series of 9 as i want the viewer to continue to think about how people consume.
Fantasy Land, 30 x16inch , acrylic on canvas
The two young girls sit together leaning against a “fantasy land” chalk drawing they have made, one is crying, her mother appears to call to her. Written on the wall you can just make out the words “your dad is just a bit late”. He was meant to be picking up his daughter and friend and taking them to a theme park for the day. This is a repeat pattern, he promises to do something fantastic then the mother has to explain why he is not coming.
The children are sat in front of a painted wall, the painted wall contains a “fantasy fairy land”. This is a drawing the children have made. It is part magical, part horrific, a cat house containing prostitues, someone giving person a blow job in between buildings. At the edge of the picture (on the right) a man looks into the scene, he sees the kids as “easy targets”. He will fill the father figure gap and get what he needs from the kids, compliant sales people / young runners. On the left a magpie holds a charm bracelet in its beak - for me this was meant to be something ambiguous, have the girls been robbed of something or material wealth being delivered to them.
Ritz biscuits for dinner, 30 x16inch , acrylic on canvas
The children sit in one of the girl’s bedroom, they are playing music. It’s childish scene apart from there are knives in the room, one of the girls has knives in her socks and there is a large dominant man present, he has his leg up on the bed next to them and is smoking. He tells them he has called the police and alerted them to a bomb in the school, so… now they have the day off, the question is what will they do. A key opens a lock, the child’s mum is home, but it’s too late, the older guy has got to the girls and is shaping their future. Implicit in this is the idea that being a single parent, going out to work and overseeing your kids at home is tough.
Cycles repeating themselves, 30 x16inch , acrylic on canvas
The two girls organise an underage party at the local Conservative club, the drug dealer watches on. The young girls /entrepreneurs charge money to enter and the dealer provides drugs for them to sell. All the kids get totally fucked, drunk, high and have sex. The kids and dealer are making money, but there is a catch, one of the party goers has passed out by a pond, it’s not fully depicted but he is chocking on his own vomit. I want this figure to resemble a fallen soldier in Paulo Uccellos painting, The Battle of San Romano, in all the chaos of the battle his figure and my depiction here fall out of the painted scene.
Two young kids watch on from a nearby house. The only adults in the scene ignore this and play snooker.
Operation Medusa, 30 x16inch , acrylic on canvas
The two girls are at high school, we see the progression of one of the girls from “knock a door run” to cycling around delivering crack. At the centre of the painting is Medusa’s head - this is a nod to the Merseyside and North Wales police operation called “Operation medusa , cracking down on county lines network across the UK. The depiction of Medusa references Ruben’s painting but I have morphed the facial features to resemble a specific dealer.
We know it is the UK because parts of the coast line are depicted (top left and right), hipsters taking coke in London while holding their organic soil association reusable bags, deliveroo drivers delivering what ever is for sale.The scene is littered with rap packets and drug parafinalia (a repurposed asthma inhaler is a crack pipe).
Opportunity Knocks, 30 x16inch , acrylic on canvas
The gang take over the basement of a rented house (it was once one of the girl’s grandma’s house). They transform it, wiring electrics to the neighbours mains, repurposing the chimney to pump out heat.
A neighbour calls one of the girls when a rival gang arrive and kill a dog on the front doorstep. Police are called and investigate. In Yorkshire some cellars have decorative tiles in their cellars, i have updated these tiles to represent aspirational brands.
Play Host, 30 x16inch , acrylic on canvas
The violence escalates. One of the girls is now in a “cuckooed “house in Blackpool. The doll head which featured in the first panel can be seen on the sideboard (left) here. This is a direct depiction of a story I heard about a dealer slashing a doll’s head and threatening the occupants of a cuckooed house “this will be you”. A rival gang arrive to confront the other dealers. At the bottom of the painting we see hands controlling a console, I want the viewer to question their relationship to the scene, how involved are they?
The painting references Ucello’s panel “ The host”.
Easy Targets, 30 x16inch , acrylic on canvas
The boxing club is a meeting point and potential escape route for many - you can fight your way out. However some use the isolation of the club to coerce kids into moving drugs for them ( this is not something I have seen first hand). In this instance I wanted to highlight a girl’s description of moving drugs while other more obvious or “easy targets” are the focus. The painting the girl’s jacket reads “hush hush” this in reference to her comment when describing drug distribution “hush hush we fly below the radar”, “is isn’t even about the money, it’s about respect”.
I have found the boxing clubs I have visited to be extremely positive transformative places and have not personally experienced any drug use.
If I only had a brain, 30 x16inch, acrylic on canvas
The final panel references the Wizard of Oz and Bartolome Bermejo’s Saint Michael Triumphs over-the Devil. The girls have grown up. One stands under a tree, she is pregnant, the scarecrow, tin man and lion will her to come on a journey. She is at a junction in her life, should she go in search of more or stay in her hometown. In the background you can see the Junction Pub, (this was my local pub), it was reported that a dead horse had been found in it’s cellar. I wanted to add this to the painting to illustrate the complete random weirdness or people’s surroundings.
The other girl has crossed a line in the painting, behind her we see buildings and on the facias are the words “study”, “work” “mortgage”, bars in front of those buildings represent that conforming to a normal progression can also be cage. Despite that the girl now has options, she is strong she appears to have literally a grip many things ( multiple arms) she is slaying her devil, she holds her own hour glass and weather vane. She will find her own direction in her own time.
We are all on a journey and need a heart, courage, brain and some luck to escape the lottery of our circumstance.
County Lines - Great Escapes
I am currently creating a collection of larger stain paintings 2.2m x 1.2m
Preparatory sketches experimenting with colour
Easy Targets, 2021, A3, mixed media on paper
Every Day and twice on a Sunday, 2021, A3, mixed media on paper
Hush Hush, 2021, A3, mixed media on paper
Play Host, 2021, A3, mixed media on paper
Coming Ready or Not, A3, mixed media on paper