“Railway Barber-Joker Father” Painting

Study for a portrait of my father, I had a love hate relationship with, confronting, exploring those emotions through this study opened a space of unexpected tenderness, emotions provoked, understanding and the road to forgiveness that would otherwise not be possible. Secret gay relations and artistic endevours inspired him, but never dared in the conservative-mucho christian farmers community. Instead became a railway man, farmer and joker, that died with secret a few years ago. This study explores with plaster on pastel, scraped to create a Joker’s mask, complimented with acrylic, the hairdresser’s barber sighs, comb and scissors, the steam locomotive he worked on, cloaked in religion.