Smoker. 1997. Oil on canvas. 131x161cm
At the risk of being preachy, it's clear that the reality of smoking has dreadful consequences. However, painting for me is redemptive and at best elevates and transforms the scene or idea to another realm. Ironically, that is the inherent weakness of art.
This particular work explores many schools of painting from abstraction to figuration. The Picassoid head on the left recalls cubism, and repeated vertical lines highlight my interest in the work of Daniel Buren. Centrally at the top, the couple at the back refer to my love of erotic literature and philosophy of the 18th century. These shifts in style mirror a personal relationship to languages. Utopia for me is a place where we can all speak each other's 'language'.