Richard McWhannell: Classic Hits (and Misses) / 21 April - 15 May 2010

Artist’s Statement:

The current crop of work came about when I suggested to my young friend, Cat Auburn that I’d like to paint a portrait of her in the manner of Allan Ramsay’s portrait of his first wife. It was a simple step to then suggest that I in fact repaint his original portrait and substitute the visage of Anne Bayne with that of Cat. What followed in the rest of the works has been a collaborative effort between me and the various sitters.

The intention was that I paint pictures at original scale and approximating original materials. For example if a picture were on a wood panel then I’d use hardboard to which canvas was glue sized. In some cases available stretcher pieces came very close to original sizes and some truncating/extending has gone on. As they’ve evolved I’ve got closer to colour and tone treatment of the donor portraits though originally the palette was to be monochromatic with the figures alone in colour. It’s kind of a supreme arrogance to pinch these beautiful pictures and they’ve asserted themselves in ways that have suggested a certain verisimilitude. I’ve found myself variously in empathy with the originals and very much in awe. For instance, the landscape of Urbino feels very like Waikato. It transcends time and stands happily for our place.

It’s well known that I’m a committed referencer of past art and these works are a more blatant hat doffing to historic work of intense power.
Normally wary of letting people through my door - lest a comment might deflect or break my emotional engagement with the pictures - with these I’ve been much more open in the belief that it’s pretty hard or irrelevant if a comment condemns a Titian! How we’ve been wrapped and packaged - admittedly we’re mostly looking at the privileged here, is a fascination. For me Mrs Ramsay with her bows to be pulled is as sensual as The Girl in White Stockings (Claudia said “of course you’d choose me for that”).
Get a load of Titian’s sleeves! Things were cranking up in Piero and Leonardo’s time but the High Renaissance in the sleeve Department was yet to come! In the end I’m happy with our liberation, but you have to wonder how you might feel decked in splendour.
Chances are the next pictures will be a return to ‘Off the Rack’.

Please contact the gallery for more information.