Mitch Griffiths They Love Me, They Love Me Not

They Love Me, They Love Me Not was one of the lead artworks of Griffiths' critically-acclaimed 2013 exhibition Iconostasis. The works in this series unfold the blatant distinction between an individual's desired perception of themselves and how they are actually seen by others. Griffiths plays with the notion that our saints have now evolved - no longer heavenly, but worshipped for their unending trials and self-promotion through the media. Griffiths' figures exist in a state of purgatory - neither holy nor common, famed nor unknown - hanging on the edge of a nirvana which is based no longer on divinity, but instead on a false sense of ecstasy ensued by the rituals and expected behaviours of contemporary society.

Encapsulating the many layers of themes within Iconostasis, They Love Me, They Love Me Not shows a young woman with a forlorn expression. Protectively wrapping herself in a cloak of vibrant red fabric, reminiscent of the works of Caravaggio, she cannot meet our eyes; she appears vulnerable and broken. Lightbulbs of the sort usually found illuminating a vanity mirror float around her head, suggestive of a halo, though some are smashed and she appears to be bleeding. Griffiths' work often poses more questions than it answers, though the most important thing to take away is that there is no correct interpretation. The paintings are intended to speak through reaction, to challenge the viewer to relate and conclude for themselves, breaking down the barrier which separates them from the artist, himself.