“Where Are You In the Sheepscape I” by Artist: Andrea Lee. Dimensions: 7 by 5 inches. Found materials, inked kozo paper, brown paper bag, clipart, gel and micron pen. Year: 2025.

“Where Are You In the Sheepscape II” by Artist: Andrea Lee. Dimensions: 7 by 5 inches. Found materials, inked kozo paper, brown paper bag, clipart, gel and micron pen. Year: 2025.

“Where are you in the Sheepscape I” shows individuals both contemplating and taking action, while grappling with apathy and the risks of leaving their sheepish ways behind. The road out of the sheepscape is littered with questions and curveballs.

“II” shows how a crowd of action takers could look, if the individuals found the courage to risk take the leap. We also see questioning, wondering, and doubting, all of which is entailed in deciding to rise up.

These works speak to the issue of apathy and bystander syndrome, whereby large numbers of individuals refrain from taking action, hoping to avoid getting involved in the messy, chaotic and sometimes violent or dangerous process of combatting authoritarianism. 

Following the safety of the herd, and obediently doing or believing whatever an authoritarian leader says to do or believe, is what sheep do. The word sheepscape is intended to indicate a broad range of sheep-like behaviour, as apathy can take many forms. 

Conversely, the journey to stop being a sheep, which is a road that each individual must travel of their own accord, has many iterations, and the artwork asks the viewer to locate themselves. By doing so, perhaps they can be excited into taking further steps.

Within the Authoritarian Regime Survival Guide, this pair of works speaks to Rule #5 for Survival, “don’t try to wait it out, don’t hope it will pass, it WON’T.’ As well as to the overall exhortation by Mycielski to keep up the fight, to endure, and to band together.