Page 128 - Vegan Life - Issue 59 (February 2020)

discover the origins of it are rooted in my to the movement — it’s all-encompassing the UK. We’ve also raised money for over
activism and veganism. and very imaginative, as it can be anything 40 diferent animal charities via online
I have a variety of responses to my from paintings in a gallery, to placards on auctions, art shows, and calendar and
art. I‘ve had everything from online a protest march. Poems, songs, novels, book sales.
arguments and abuse (from dairy farmers plays, sculptures — there are no limits! Thanks to this amazing collective,
and outraged meat-eaters) to very tearful Creativity carries emotion and information I not only have a group of close friends
activists who empathise so much that they across borders and it transcends language. and confidantes living everywhere from
are deeply moved. Mostly, I have had a It is enriching the burgeoning vegan Canada to New Zealand, it’s also allowed
huge and much-appreciated groundswell movement and connecting people of like- me the great privilege of being part of
of support and praise since I began my mind across the globe. a small team of AOC artists who now
animal work. A lot of people are surprised When I was first featured in Vegan Life curate an exhibition of our work at the
that the pieces are very small scale (mostly magazine four years ago, I had only just International Animal Rights Conference
A4 size) as they contain so much detail. But joined the fledgling Art of Compassion in Luxembourg. My fellow artist, Helen
ALL reactions are valid, as this can open a Collective (AOC) as one of its first few Barker, and I also gave a talk on ‘Art and
dialogue and a debate. That’s the power members. Now, we have over 150 vegan Propaganda’ there last year.
of this deliberately ‘active art’. It just sits artists worldwide, have published our What a long and varied journey it’s
there, silently provoking you. own art book, and had art exhibitions in been from that moment with the sheep
Art is extremely useful in spreading Vegfests and vegan fairs in China, Italy, truck in 1989, to that nerve-wracking but
vegan awareness. It adds a unique aspect Germany, France, Ireland, America and triumphant talk in 2019!
At the moment, due to the intricate
and intense nature of my art, it takes up
virtually all of my time, but I intend to
break out of the ‘vegan bubble’ and take
my finished work (decorative AND animal
rights) out into the ‘real world’ in 2020.
It’s time to stop seeing ‘animal rights art’
as somehow a ‘specialist’ or ‘minority’
discipline. It’s as valid as ANY form of
‘conventional’ art. A major part of this
plan is that my work is being featured in a
professional, hardback art book due out
this year. This could be yet another one of
those life-changing moments, so watch
this space. ■

For more from Philip, visit
philipdownsart.co.uk,
artofcompassionproject.com or follow
@vegan_artivist

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