37469 Painting

This painting was created and exhibited as part of the exhibition - MUGSHOT : Painting the least wanted at the Babylon gallery in Ely and at Talented Art fair in Shoreditch, London. It is now available for sale Why mugshots? I have always had a love for portraits and faces and I am continuously looking for new, exciting ways to approach the subject. I became aware of a book by the American Graphic Designer Mark Michaelson called Least Wanted: A Century of American Mugshots. It showcases a selection of photos and police records that were purchased at auction. I spoke to Mark about our mutual fascination for mugshots, wanted posters and portraiture in general and he kindly agreed to me using his collection of photos as inspiration for a few paintings. Initially this was simply to satisfy my own curiosity however I quickly realised that I wanted to explore things further and this was the point where I started to plan the basis of the exhibition. It’s important to know that all the subjects that I chose to paint for this exhibition were arrested and classed as ‘petty criminals’, I have no interest in glamorising or condoning serious crimes or criminals therefore I have chosen to paint people on the edge of society, those in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am fascinated by changing attitudes and shifting tolerances together with mistakes in judgement that led to the subjects being arrested. Some of the 'crimes' committed such as homosexuality are no longer considered illegal today and it’s this social commentary that has fuelled the creation of the work. The format of the Police mugshot is a quick, unplanned, unrehearsed moment in time. I love the immediacy of them and I have carried that feeling into the paintings, working wet into wet using oils.

Painting:Oil on Wood

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:9.8 W x 13.8 H x 1.2 D in

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