Mark Sheeky
12 ¼ x 10 ¼ x 1 ¼ in
From a series of Anti-Valentine’s cards that deliberately invert the sentiment of Saint Valentine’s Day, reframing it as a meditation on death, hostility, and anti-romance. Conceived as a stark alternative to conventional seasonal cards, the works aim to be provocative and unsettling rather than sentimental...
From a series of Anti-Valentine’s cards that deliberately invert the sentiment of Saint Valentine’s Day, reframing it as a meditation on death, hostility, and anti-romance. Conceived as a stark alternative to conventional seasonal cards, the works aim to be provocative and unsettling rather than sentimental.
Visually, the series centres on a spade motif that doubles as a skull or inkblot, drawing on associations from popular culture and symbolic imagery. Approximately a dozen pieces were produced, with a selection retained as a cohesive series, occasionally reusing materials.
Collectively, the cards function as conceptual counter-gifts, offering an unconventional form of consolation to those alienated by traditional romantic celebrations. Rather than intimate or personal affection, they propose a more abstract, collective notion of love—one that emerges from the artwork itself and extends beyond individual relationships.

8, King Street