179 Remembered Painting

The aftermath of the Britain's involvement in the Iraq war continues to be controversial. I thought I would create a monument to those service people who died, and looked at several artists including Marlene Dumas and Christian Boltanski. I started to explore certain ideas on a large canvas which I had used for some time as a testing area, and which I reversed and re-stretched. At this point I was still experimenting, manipulating each portrait digitally to achieve a certain mood, and then applying it to the canvas using emulsion transfer print technique. As ever the effect of this process is interesting for its accidentality - the artist cannot be sure what the effect will be except that it will not be photographic, as is the case with many other print processes. I immediately saw a haunting quality, an otherworldliness which inspired me to work aggressively on each portrait. I soon realised that this reused canvas would suit perfectly my aims. I sanded down and repainted each portrait and gradually, after many hours, I had painted all 179 faces. The final task was to ensure that the total work was uniformly consistent and successful in its purpose as a monument, a tribute, to those who died. I hope the viewer will share with me the tragedy, futility and outrage of this event in history. Once the painting is hung there is no indication that there are marks on the reverse. The work is signed on the back. The canvas is based on a wooden stretcher. It will be shipped ready to hang but unframed.

Painting:Acrylic on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:64.6 W x 64.6 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.