"ReSpect"
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Portrait of John Ioane
Acrylic and Oil on Denim 150cmx100cm
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Artist Statement
These portraits of Reuben Paterson, Sylvia Marsters, Shigeyuki Kihara, John Ioane and Ben Bergman were chosen because of my interest and utmost ReSpect for their creative impacts on New Zealand the Pacific and the rest of the world. As artists, John, Reuben, Sylvia and Shigeyuki, are powerful visionaries who lead us into new frontiers with passion and a knowledge that inspires me to know more about my path. I choose to paint Ben because through the BCA he has provided an incredible space in which these voices may be heard and shared.
Previously, I have painted portraits through an interview process getting information about my subjects, enlightening the works through their personal stories and histories. However with this show I wanted to explore my subjects from an intuitive place. I asked nothing more of them other than their permission. I took time to reflect on the different aspects of whom each person is and what represents how he or she are projected to the world. I wanted to explore the accuracy of my interpretations with their silence.
These portraits intend to encapsulate the essence of the people… with this in mind before asking why I painted something in a particular way, ask yourself does the painting represent what you think and feel of the person, if the answer is yes then I have succeeded in communicating their feelings through my own to you…
Previously, I have painted portraits through an interview process getting information about my subjects, enlightening the works through their personal stories and histories. However with this show I wanted to explore my subjects from an intuitive place. I asked nothing more of them other than their permission. I took time to reflect on the different aspects of whom each person is and what represents how he or she are projected to the world. I wanted to explore the accuracy of my interpretations with their silence.
These portraits intend to encapsulate the essence of the people… with this in mind before asking why I painted something in a particular way, ask yourself does the painting represent what you think and feel of the person, if the answer is yes then I have succeeded in communicating their feelings through my own to you…
