Blog Posts

Battle Dress

3/15/2017

Underpainting

This painting sits directly between the exploration of gender identity and presentation in the intimate portraits of the Dress Codes series, and my latest series examining the powerful narratives of the anonymous body.

I chose to paint her twice, in a pose that resembles a mirror image. I wanted to leave the interpretation open; is this an inner conflict, the self divided, or is it two people in competition? Is this a woman, or a man in drag? The dress nearly slips from the shoulders, lace revealing bare flesh, and yet nothing is really exposed. Dressed in her armour of lace, protected within the citadel of the feminine mystique, she prepares her weapons and defenses in the battle of the sexes.

Battle Dress. Oil and Alkyd on Canvas. 120 x 90 cm. 2017

The model in this painting is Jen Rae, a performer with the New Jacobin Club, a very theatrical, dramatically dark musical group. This costume is one of her stage concoctions, although in her version, it is smeared and stained with black and spattered with fake blood. I was really drawn to this outfit because of the contradiction of the delicate, ultra feminine symbology of the wedding dress, and the way in which Jen has chosen to present it, all bloody, torn and stained. Originally I was going to paint it that way, but as I drew the image, I felt the power of it lay in the mystery, the remote, impersonality of ‘the bride’ behind the veil, and the weight of history, patriarchy and girlish fantasy embedded in the virginal bridal role. Jen’s androgynous appearance, and the tough look of her extensive tattooing contribute to the dichotomy.

In process image of Battle Dress

I asked Jen if she would write something for me about the wedding dress costume, and the painting Battle Dress. This is her take:
For the theatrical numbers of NJC shows I search for costumes that have a strong visual impact and use commonly understood icons and archetypes. I have been wanting to wear a wedding dress for an NJC show for some time: it's recognizable, and carries an emotional weight for many (including myself). My vision to make it tattered and bloody was of an innocent seeing some horrors that she was never prepared for. She seeks to escape or embrace the reality of living, destroying her white dress in the process. The Battle Dress painting illustrates that I'm too big for that dress, and the tattoos and androgyny clash with the archetype of a naïve, veiled bride. Wearing that dress in itself was a battle; I could not shake the image of childhood dress-up where we practice societal roles with my own conflicting emotions over a failed marriage. That discomfort and emotional weight was captured beautifully in this painting, especially with the pastoral background where I could imagine a lavish wedding was taking place.
Jen Rae 2017

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Transmission

2/21/2017

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Transmission. 60 x 120 cm. Oil on Canvas. 2016.

Transmission is a continuation of the ‘Wired’ project, a body of paintings examining the human/machine interface, and the ethical and emotional dichotomies around new technology. Wired, Rumour, Touch, Fledgling and The Relic are the other paintings from this series, some of which were featured in Altered States, which was shown in the Mendel Art Gallery’s Artist by Artist program in 2013. My young collaborator in this exhibition, Cate Francis, is the model for this new work. I painted Cate as a child of the digital age, deeply connected to her virtual universe, but yet uneasily conscious of the potential danger.

The underpainting, with the beginning of the top coat in the far left figure.

The painting stages:

Drawing on canvas

The first couple strokes of oil paint over the grisaille

Grisaille of the face and hands is covered with first layer of oil paint

In 2018, the Mann Gallery in Prince Albert, SK will host a linked pair of exhibitions with Cate Francis and myself examining the narrative aspect in figurative art. In the main exhibition space I will have a solo show of large scale oil paintings, with work spanning a decade of experimentation using symbolism, allegory and metaphor to connect and contextualize contemporary issues within an historical lineage. Alongside this, Cate will display her ongoing engagement with similar issues in printmaking.

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The Court painter

1/20/2017

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Justice Klebuc. Oil on Canvas. 50 x 40 inches. 2015

I recently had the good fortune to be asked to paint three major portraits of former Chief Justices for the Saskatchewan Law Courts. The first portrait was of Chief Justice John Klebuc, who held the position from 2006-2013. I began the portrait by meeting with him and making some drawings while my partner, Zach, took several photos. During this meeting at the Regina Courthouse, I had the opportunity to chat with him, learning what aspects of his role as Chief Justice were of special importance to him. He indicated that his work in the development of the digital case management system (ecourt), was a major contribution, so we decided that we should include a computer in the portrait to indicate the modern update, as well as the conventional books, referencing continuity with tradition. I was very impressed by how involved he had been, and continues to be, with advocating for the disenfranchised who make up so much of the court’s business. Because of this, and also because of the great teamwork and obvious liking and trust I observed between him, his former assistant, and his wife, who were all present at this first meeting, I chose to depict him with a warm, compassionate and approachable expression. Back in the studio, I continued to develop the painting relying on the drawing and photo references, and then had one more live sitting with him in my studio. As I worked toward completing the portrait, I decided to add an autumn scene in the background to indicate the retirement phase of life he was entering, and rich blue curtains to set off his blue eyes, with a small wheat sheaf pattern in gold.

The other two portraits were really challenging but interesting commissions, as both judges were long deceased. William F.A. Turgeon was Chief Justice from 1938-1941 and William Melville Martin held the position after Turgeon in 1941 until 1961. Zach was recruited to research information and photo references about the judges from the Saskatchewan Archives. Some extra images and notes on colour from descendants were also very helpful. It was a great challenge to create three quarter length colour portraits just from high contrast black and white head shots, but I am very pleased with the outcome of both paintings.

These images show the progression of the portrait of Chief Justice William F.A. Turgeon.

William F.A Turgeon. Oil on Canvas. 50 x 40 inches. 2016

William Melville Martin. Oil on Canvas. 50 x 40 inches. 2016

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