E koekoe te tūī, E ketekete te kākā, E kūkū te kereru.
The tui squawks, the kaka chatters, the kereru coos.
Self-portrait Study
Self-portrait IV
Pathos
77cm x 65cm
Oil on unstretched Belgian linen
Close up details:
Self-portrait II
Where do I come from?
77cm x 65cm
Oil on unstretched Belgian linen
Close up details:
Self-portrait III
Fight or flight
65cm x 77cm
Oil on unstretched Belgian linen
Close up details:
Working from the value systems relative to the history of painting, I set out to continue the study of painting self-portraits.
In Where do I come from? I wanted there to be a strong personal connection with myself in situ relating to my past, but also in reference to Rembrandt’s painting The Franciscan Friar , (1606). My Grandfather was a Franciscan Priest in The Netherlands. In this self-portrait, I am reading The Embarrassment of Riches, written by Simon Schama, discovering interesting history about my routes and my Batavian temperament.
In Fight or Flight I wanted to discuss some issues that I have been trying to face up to recently. I aimed to metaphorically show how I am always putting my head in the sand and not really wanting to know or sort through difficulties from the past.
In Pathos I was focused on developing the emerging psychological pathos that is embedded and evident in this study. I wanted the emotional content to stand out as a result of the personal connection between the artist and the subject and viewer.
Using myself as a subject for paintings, I aim to consider the role of portrait paintings in contemporary art and how representations of ‘the self’ are shared today.
