About This Series
The Collectors is a series of paintings and prints I began making in 2024. These works depict people who collect and surround themselves with art.
People, Possessions, and Passions
Every passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion borders on the chaos of memories
Walter Benjamin – Unpacking My Library
Walter Benjamin was discussing books. But it also applies to paintings.
My recent paintings pose questions about relationships between men and women. They also allude to connections between people and their possessions.
These recent pictures suggest a private setting and a degree of wealth. Clothing is similar to that depicted in the Broken Land series.
I regard the people I paint as archetypes. The man in the paintings shown below is always white. His age ranges between the early thirties and late fifties. The woman, also white, is sometimes younger. She may figure alongside him or she is the subject of a painting within the picture, as is the case with Cactus Flower.
N.B I am currently working on paintings with new characters. I will add more in due course.
Points of View
I sometimes include more than one point of view (POV) in a picture. Cactus Flower is a good example.
One POV places the viewer in front of the man. Another shifts the viewer to the left, in front of the painting. This ensures a symmetry of the masks and the man’s head. Also, the painting of the woman remains parallel to the picture plane.
But there is more to this painting than formal considerations. I consider it to be a bridge between the Broken Land paintings and this current series.
Questions
The man is looking at a phone. Is he reading? Is he looking at a photo or a video? Is he taking or making a call? What part does the painting play in his life? Who is the woman? And why not show her face? And what about the masks? Is there a relationship between the woman and the masks?
Is it simply the case that the cactus represents a connection to a desert? The woman in the painting stands upon cracked and barren earth. Is this a metaphorical desert? Does it represent his life or hers? What does the flower symbolise? Life, hope, or memory?
There are other questions for viewers to consider. Or at least I hope so. But it is fair to say that memories play a significant part.
The Trophy Room
Who Collects What?
The Trophy Room is also filled with ambiguity. Are the trophies the art on display? The viewer may think otherwise, as I did once the painting reached a conclusion.
So, one may ask, does this painting depict one collector or two?
Pictorial Dynamics
There are formal considerations at play. A sense of symmetry is reinforced by the legs slanting away from the centre, which is dominated by the strong vertical of the tree. There is a connection between the figures and the paintings, which are stylistically different. The viewer may wonder if the man’s choice is represented by one painting while associating the woman with the other.
The chairs differ. One is rectilinear while the other is curved. The man sits lower than the woman. Does this represent an imbalance of power? Or is it simply setting the woman higher for reasons of display?
The Art of Conversation
The Art of Conversation is my latest painting and follows on from The Trophy Room.
Again, this painting poses questions:
Who has chosen what? (see below)
Are there examples of symbolism?
Do these people have much to say to each other, or do they find it easier to immerse themselves in the digital world?
Does this painting say something about non-verbal communication?
Location
The shadows are highly stylised and similar to those dark razor-sharp shapes I saw in Morocco. Of course, this interior setting, swamped by brilliant sunlight, suggests somewhere far from England. In my mind, these collectors live somewhere like Los Angeles. Maybe they are movie producers. They certainly belong to a rich elite and typical of many collectors found in the USA. I have spent some time studying their collections and their environment. Some are secretive about their collections, but enough share their collection online.
Portraiture
The works of art within this particular picture are inventions, as are all the pieces I paint. They are a means to provide viewers with some insight into the characters I have created.
The painting behind the man made me question formats. Should it be landscape or portrait? I did paint both before settling on a portrait format because it reinforces the idea of it being a highly abstract portrait of him. There are no curves. Everything is formed of straight lines. It also reflects his choice of colours as depicted in his clothes.
As for the still life, it defies traditional conventions about what is regarded as an acceptable size. Many of my art school teachers would have been horrified. However, a quick online search will reveal larger examples. So, there are no limits to any genre of painting.
This painting contrasts linear and organic forms. It also, symbolically, juxtaposes darkness with light. The lemon has another meaning that I will leave for others to interpret.
Gallery of Works
I will be adding more as the series progresses.
