It wasn't my fault

February 2006
Acrylic on canvas 60x80cm (Sold)

On the 16th of Febuary this year I fell off my bicycle and skinned my knees and my elbows.

It was an accident... It was everybodys fault... It was nobodys fault... It happened because someone walked out onto the road without looking... It happened because i got a shock and hit the kerb... It happened because sometimes accidents just happen...

Then something happened that shocked me more than hitting the ground. Something that made me wonder about the priorities and mindset of the people in today's world. The first and only thing this person said to me was "It wasn`t my fault"... Faced with someone bleeding and crying on the ground, the only thing she was thinking was "It wasn`t my fault"... She didn`t ask if i was ok, she didn`t offer to help me up... So i got up and everyone just walked off and went on with what they were doing.

What type of world are we living in that makes people think and react like that? Are people really so self concerned that they can`t feel compassion for a stranger in trouble?

That`s what this painting is about... The events surrounding a bicycle accident... It seemed like hours before I was able to stand up again... This painting is from those imaginary hours.