‘Smells like white spirit’ takes the ghosts of the famous Fowler Troop (who used to parade the Jack in the Green around the streets of Deptford) and places them in front of Eddystone Tower where I used to live. I wanted to reflect the disparity between the traditions and culture of old contrasted with the concrete brutalism of the estate. Smell is difficult to convey in paint and with the title of this painting Burden wanted to convey the noxious process of making the painting whilst referencing the substance abuse prevalent on the estate.
Smells like white spirit, 2018. Oil, acrylic, spray paint on canvas. 160 x 200cm. Private Collection.
