like me

This satirical mural was painted during another year of the South Bristol Art Trail, once again on the gates of the Tobacco Factory. This time, it serves as a piece on Facebook and the endless chase for validation through social media ‘likes.’ The artwork critiques the way platforms like Facebook manipulate users into believing their worth is tied to digital approval, feeding an insatiable desire for recognition and purpose.

Facebook a catalyst for what has become a social media graveyard. It thrives on the constant need for approval from strangers through ‘likes,’ fostering an addiction that warps self-esteem. I’ve often found myself disheartened when a painting doesn’t get the ‘likes’ or reach I think it deserves, only to realise it’s all a facade. Social media algorithms reward superficiality, ego, and sensationalism, not true art.

This mural reflects that disillusionment. It depicts a skull impaled on the spike of modern society. Facebook. The iconic ‘F’ pierces through the head, a stark warning that we risk hoisting ourselves on our own F-shaped petard.