I ♥ Melancholy, 1993-94

"This work was a reaction against the whole 'I ♥ ...' or 'I'd rather be..." culture in the 1990s. I wanted to celebrate something that wasn't active, dangerous or 'manly'. Something that is actually introverted, non-active and potentially depressing. It was originally a print, but then I later made a wall-painting and then a t-shirt. When this is installed as a wall painting, it often has a human component, a young person quietly reading in the corner of the room."

Installation view, Hayward gallery, London, 2012. © Linda Nylind