ARTIST PROFILE

Sean Molloy

  • United Kingdom (b. 1964)
  • Currently in Dublin, Ireland.

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Philip's Head IX

Philip's Head IX

  • 2013
  • Oil, Enamel, Beeswax on Canvas
  • 24 x 30 cm
  • Philip's Head II - thumbnail Philip's Head V - thumbnail Philip's Head VII - thumbnail Philip's Head VIII - thumbnail Philip's Head IX - thumbnail Philip's Head XI - thumbnail Philip's Head XIII - thumbnail Philip's Head XIV - thumbnail Philip's Head XV - thumbnail Philip's Head XIX - thumbnail Philip's Head XX - thumbnail

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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.