'Helter-skelter'

oil on canvas 50x66.6cm framed
by Cameron Morton
 
'Helter Skelter' layers multiple interpretations of its title into a single still-life tableau. Blood oranges stand in for the iconic fairground tower, their vivid flesh evoking both the playful chaos of the old amusement slide and the raw energy of The Beatles song often hailed as the first heavy-metal track why I have tried to make it look metallic. A curling strip of orange peel cascades downward like the slide itself, guiding the eye through the composition. The choice of blood oranges also nods to the darker cultural shadow of “Helter Skelter”; the violence infamously associated with Charles Manson. Through these symbolic elements, the painting balances nostalgia, music history, and unsettling undertones within a traditional still-life form.