The Chain Link Fence (Perception)

My thoughts behind this latest Chain Link Fence themed art work are based on perception.  As with my other Chain Link Fence works, the subject of bullying is central however rather than simply looking at bullying done to me (or to anyone) I look at the part played by the victim of bullying in the process of being bullied.  Generally people have perceptions about other people, situations, places or events.  Often the perception is biased and based on previous experiences that a person may have had in their life such as perceiving hot spicy food to be good because it is something that the person grew up with and therefore familiar with.  I suppose perceptions can also get mixed up with prejudice (to prejudge without knowing the person).  Prejudice is based on past experience in a similar way to perception.  The difference with perception is that although it comes from past life experiences, it is a unique individual way of looking at life which may differ from another individual.  I have perceived a situation to be more positive than it was or even to let my wishful thinking get in the way of seeing reality.  At one place of work I sensed the under hand bullying that I was subject to (being told not to go for a promotion because someone else was meant for it, told that there had never been anyone in the department like me before in a critical way and so on).  There was enough said for a feeling of discomfort and sense that this was wrong, yet my perception or wishful thinking kept over riding my gut feeling that some thing was wrong.  I hoped that things would get better over time and basically allowed an overly positive perception of how my situation in this work place could improve over time.  Things had got better over time in the past, why not now?  This led to 7 years of workplace bullying that progressively worsened and only stopped when I left.  Perception is a good thing as long as you are honest with yourself, however ignoring reality is dangerous for anyone. Socrates the late 5th century BC philosopher described the man who believes he knows the most actually knows the least and the man who says he knows the least is the wisest of men. 

The Chain Link Fence (Perception), pen drawing and gouache painting, A2 (2016)

This drawing/painting uses the Chain Link Fence as a back drop.  I suppose different people will perceive different things in the drawing/painting.