MOB...LOL
Philip Evans solo show.
Kilkenny, Ireland.
April, 2010.

I could never get my head around mob mentality. I've never been quite sure where my attitude for this comes from, but as far back as I can remember I could never understand why people would succumb to the ideas of a larger group even if they didn't share the opinion of that group. The people who inspire me most are those who don't regard the opinion of "The Mob" and just pursue the course that feels most natural to them, which is often following their passions.

As a human in Irish society today there are many seemingly inescapable clichés that go unquestioned. I found by using a very simple character in all of the works for this show that I could put some of these various common scenarios into a slightly ridiculous context, and therefore make these scenarios more questionable. Media, advertising, dress codes, fame, txt speak, idols, music, sport, public movement and opinions are some of the ideas that seemed most apt for me to illustrate what I was trying to get at, which is that there is no harm in questioning anything you do. Just because everyone else is doing something it does not mean you are obliged to participate also.

"The next big thing" will be yesterday’s news in no time. Who says you need to spend your evenings in front of a flat screen HD ready TV? Who says you don't? Who says you need to ride around on a skateboard or spend hours on end scribbling to get the most out of your day? Do whatever floats your boat, or don't.

-Philip Evans