Why is the title painted on the painting?

Today I’ll answer another question I posed to myself about ‘Young & Free’

Why is the title painted on the painting?

I realised a while ago now that I have been writing the title as ‘Young & Free’ not ‘Young and Free’. I feel like using ‘&’ instead of ‘and’ takes the title a step away from directly referring to the Australian Anthem lyrics. My post Why is it called ‘Young and Free’ and how does that fit with the phrase’s cultural meaning? talks about the word’s cultural meaning.

This male is young. Or feels like he is young, believes he is young, forever young, perhaps immortal (made of gold and diamonds).

&

This male is free. Free to do what he wants. Free to make his own choices. Free to do what he needs to do to get what he wants. Free from all restraints. Entitled. But how free is he really, with the heavy gold chain around his neck and two diamond boxing gloves dangling from them? One of my hopes for these gloves is to create a sense of burden for the kangaroo.

The title is ‘engraved’ in a ‘solid gold’, twirling ribbon. It is decretive, elaborate, a statement, an announcement, (an affirmation from the male?) It is a plaque. If the plaque says it is so, then it is so. Perhaps if the audience looks deeper into the meaning of the artwork, they may conclude: ‘Mate, you’re kidding yourself’.

Perhaps it’s a form of ‘gaslighting’?