Apocalypse Painting

This work was created against the backdrop of the First Gulf War. It also followed on from the tragic loss of the Artist’s brother a year before the painting commenced, so there is a sense of personal catharsis as well as a world wide one. The painting formed part of a series of a 9 canvas exhibition , “Slightly Simister “ in the JD Fergusson Gallery Perth, 1998, after the Artist became the Inaugural winner of the JD Fergusson Award. The painting demonstrates the artist’s lifelong interest in the Middle East, particularly in terms of Egyptian Art but also Modern Day history of which he was an avid scholar in his school days. The setting for the painting is an Eden like scene shrouded in an eery blanket of night which brings to mind the smoke from burning oil fields of the early 90’s Gulf conflict. The trees of Life and Knowledge flank the composition, as do the main characters in the scene, Eve on the left and Adam on the right. Eve was based on a WW11, pin up girl, stencilled onto a B52 bomber - “Lusty Linda”. Adam appears from the shadows of the right hand side, also masked, a sinister protagonist in the mysterious shadow play which they both enact. From the trees, dangle a strangely shaped and sinister fruits, whilst Anubis like forms, part insect part rocket take to the skies.