‘Society cares about the individual only insofar as he is profitable. The young know this. Their anxiety as they enter upon social life matches the anguish of the old as they are excluded from it.’

Keith will be part of this group exhibition being developed by curators Bella Kerr & Amanda Roderick for Fringe Arts Bath where artists speculate on the issues of age.

Simone de Beauvoir’s examination of old age, The Coming of Age asks what do the words elderly, old, and aged really mean? How are they used and how is this a reflection of society’s values and priorities? As the ‘age pyramid’ flips, we face pressing issues of social care, and inequality and age in relation to healthcare, housing and wealth. De Beauvoir’s title allows us to think of youth and old age, of the journey to adulthood, and of cross-generational views.

My work for this show, ‘Trials and tribulations’, is a series of pen and ink drawings on paper. Here, the subject of age can be seen from both sides of the spectrum, as quite different conditions, but with problems of the same nature. Within these images of figures carrying or lifting one another, I both observe the relationship between the young and old; between young artists and my own practice, and the parent-child relationship with my two sons. For me there is little difference between generations, just time and experience; we are all souls wanting to go somewhere.

In these drawings of the carrying of one character by another, I am emphatically saying: ‘I know where you are going and I can help you get there’. A desire to achieve and the drive to fulfil ambitions remains, as do aspirations, hopes and fears. I am keen to connect with, understand and sympathise with younger generations and focus on their similarities rather than any divisions or conflict which may exist. The mask – a recurring theme in my work – in this instance symbolises the Older character but is worn by a young body. A mask of age hiding the young spirit within.

Private View from 6pm, Friday 27 May at Number 23 Milsom Place, 41 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DN. Exhibition will continue until 12 June 2022.