Mike O'Meally

STOCKROOM

When I first moved to New York City in 1998, I was a hopeful, wide eyed 24 year old, I never expected that within 3 years I would be in a WAR ZONE. Then, after  the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001 - It sent me deep into what is now - a 20 year visual life sentence where words are like weapons. Although I moved to the USA to pursue a career capturing skateboarding pirates with my camera, my eyes were always open to the symbols, structures & strategies of the great American Dream {Nightmare} - as the years wore on it became obvious to me that perception & reality represent to the two ‘poles’ of a society/culture that was once loved & respected and is perhaps now more so the “Times New Roman” Empire. The bravado decries insecurity and muscle corrupts magic. This exhibition represents my own personal reaction, and observation of ‘The State of US’. Obviously the world at large is changing rapidly, but the idea of an “International Sheriff” is decaying equally. It’s happening everywhere, it’s the State of All of US - but, the one time purveyor of Coca-Cola, blue jeans & rock’n’roll music, is now panning out to be one of the most aggressive, unruly and unkempt custodians of peace - das zeitgeist. It has fascinated me for 20 years, and hope springs eternal that the Land of the Free will remain the Home of the Brave. After the shock or war, my reaction to feeling scared was to “look up”, and as a kind of visual therapy for my post 9/11 PTSD, I engaged in my own form of target practice - constant observation of planes flying so close to buildings, yet still it became “normal”. Occasionally I would see beautiful a bird as well, and realised all is not lost. I survived and I feel relief. It has taken me 17 years to come to terms with it all. Move yourself and heal. It’s the big bi-coastal, bi-polar, bi-partisan, bionic bombastic bully boy bastard who has trained me, entertained me and forged my 3rd eye in the fire for the last 20 or so years. Thanks America, you’ve made me unbomfortable…