2,700.00€
Oil on canvas 130cm x 89cm x 2.7cm
Signed and dated by artist
Catalogue reference: CK-jj011
A figurative study in a landscape of fiction, myth and science. A type of Mary Shelley ‘monster’ effortlessly fusing life study and corporal elements of seemingly miss-matched sizes resulting in a frame radiating elegance and humility, and while clearly not of proportions traditionally recognised as perfect offers the viewer a corporal beauty, free of ego and self importance—the beauty inherent in the elongated features of a portrait by Modigliani or the skinny frames of a Giacometti sculpture.
See DESCRIPTION below for more information about this work and artist’s notes.
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“It was only on stepping back from the finished painting that its mix of symbolism and raison d’être began to reveal themselves.”
The solitary figure a recurring theme. This work explores an abundance of characteristics and metaphors associated with the power and perhaps loneliness of the individual. The man is angelic yet strong, a hard manual worker with immense strength who shows compassion for the weakest of creatures in his environment. He is able to perform impossible tasks working alone in a red, fiery—possibly hellish environment. He is other worldly, of unusual proportions yet has a sense of calm and normality about him. He is exposed and naked, but feels no fear or loss of dignity.
The true purpose and value of his tasks remains hidden—ambiguous, but that is an ambiguity that many of us hold. We examine our own worth and purpose periodically, but often put it to the back of our minds as we follow through with our daily routines. The artwork contains veiled notions of puberty and sexual awakening mixed with ideas exploring the cruel frailties of human flesh (present in the biblical scenes of the Italian master Caravaggio, (The Crowning with Thorns, c.1602-07, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas {Doubting Thomas} c.1602).
There are homogenised hints of Baroque, Fantasy art and modern Surrealism with influences echoing the dystopia visual
landscapes created by Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins in Blade Runner 2049. A fascination as a boy for the dark celestial worlds of science fiction brought to life whilst pouring through fantasy art books. Each turn of the page revealing a new world or idea from the rich, searching imaginations of Syd Mead, Rodney Mathews and Roger Dean.
This painting has served most satisfactorily as a creative act and reflective surface, but I’m sure, there are yet more interesting notions, new ideas, dark human questions and joys waiting to be revealed.
