Latest Pixel Painting & Contextual Studies April 2021

House paint/polyfilla/bitumen on canvas 100x75cm

Sketch book/progress

Contextual Studies

Chuck Close, a contemporary master of portraiture, was born with a rare neurological disorder called prosopagnosia, which leaves him unable to recognize faces—including his own. “Everything I do is driven by my learning disabilities,” Close once said. “I’m sure I was driven to paint portraits to commit images to memory, because once I flatten them out and scan them I remember them much better.” Whether as tapestries, photographs, or larger-than-life oil paintings, Close’s portraits often feature himself or his inner circle of friends, including the artists Richard Serra, Alex Katz, Diane von Furstenberg, Cindy Sherman, and Cecily Brown. Notable exceptions include his portraits of celebrities Brad Pitt and Kate Moss, as well as former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Close's John (1971-72), an early photorealistic painting of his friend John Roy, set the artist’s auction record at $4.8 million.

Self-Portrait Screenprint 2012, 2012, Silkscreen, 168.9 × 139.7 cm, Edition of 80

Phil, 1976, Limited Edition Print on Strathmore 3-Ply Paper, 20.3 × 20.3 cm, Edition of 1000

Fred III, 2017-18, Oil on canvas, 182.9 × 152.4 cm

Jenny Saville’s monumental portraits explore the human body and its fascinating aesthetic potential. Her bold and sensuous impressions of surface, line, and mass oscillate between rational and irrational forms, capturing a unique kind of realism specific to the twenty-first century. Titled after the ancient Greek personification of hope left behind at the bottom of Pandora’s box—a spirit traditionally associated with the burdens of human suffering, rather than positivity—the paintings in Elpis are grounded in tangible realities while reaching toward their mythological dimensions

Meridian, 2019-20, Oil on Canvas, 150x120cm

Second Nature, 2020, Oil on linen, 230x210cm

Cascade, 2020, Oil on linen, 200x160cm

Egon Schiele, 12 June 1890 – 31 October 1918) was an Austrian painter. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele was a major figurative painter of the early 20th century. His work is noted for its intensity and its raw sexuality, and the many self-portraits the artist produced, including nude self-portraits. The twisted body shapes and the expressive line that characterize Schiele's paintings and drawings mark the artist as an early exponent of Expressionism.

Self-Portrait with Physalis, 1912

Arthur Fleischmann's last work completed before his death is a Perspex water sculpture entitled "Tribute to the Discovery of DNA", which was placed in the new wing of the NSW State Library, Sydney, Australia, almost 50 years after he completed the bronze doors in the same building. It combines his complementary passions of art and science.

'Tribute to the Discovery of DNA', 1990Fleischmann in his studio working on one of the studies for the final piece. Photo : Dominique Fleischmann

Albert Giacometti was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His work was particularly influenced by artistic styles such as Cubism and Surrealism. Philosophical questions about the human condition, as well as existential and phenomenological debates played a significant role in his work. Around 1935 he gave up on his Surrealistic influences in order to pursue a more deepened analysis of figurative compositions. Giacometti wrote texts for periodicals and exhibition catalogues and recorded his thoughts and memories in notebooks and diaries. His critical nature led to self-doubt about his own work and his self-perceived inability to do justice to his own artistic vision. His insecurities nevertheless remained a powerful motivating artistic force throughout his entire life.

Man Pointing, 1947