Philip's Head V

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  Philip's Head Series | 2013

In this series of paintings I use the term 'Philips-head' as an playful reference to the subject matter, the portrait of Philip IV of Spain (circa 1623) as painted by the court painter Diego Velazquez. The portraits are painted using a monochrome palette or grisaille, enhancing the contrast between the under-painting and the over-painted optical devices. I am attempting to investigate how contemporary mediated imagery impacts on our perception of the fine art object. The optical devices take the form of parallel lines, Ben-day dots or pixel-like patterns, referencing analogue television, photography/ reprographic print and computer-generated imagery. Like the brushstroke, these devices play a constituent role in the creation of the illusion of form. I imagine the new mediums as leaving their traces on the old, creating a palimpsest-like effect; a fusion of present and past combining elements of digital imagery with the seductive quality of traditional painterly form.