Today was fineliner sketching and I’m enjoying these two hares from the same reference. I am more interested in using a reference to inspire something, than doing photo-realism or carbon copies. I do practise replicating things closely, but that is more about honing my seeing skills than self-expression.
In amongst all the developments as the Third World War continues to wait for an official definition of a start date, I did spot the discourse around a portrait going up for auction for £1.5 million.
Here’s one article on the painting.
Lots of fans have ridiculed the painting, and I was informed that I can do a better Liam, but what I found interesting was the way the painting was presented by most outlets as a single work, some not even mentioning that the artist, Elizabeth Peyton, has a body of work, and that she intentionally feminizes the faces of male rock stars she paints.
The other thing not mentioned is that it’s unlikely that it will be the artist who nets the potential couple of million quid the painting is predicted to go for.
The discourse is interesting to me, not least because she used well known press photographs as her references, and then produced art that was inspired by them, with an intention, rather than direct copies, or photo-realism, and lots of people are very upset, with the exception of the people eyeing the potential millions coming their way.
I suppose there’s an element of the parasocial in there too, where fandoms seem to increasingly hold a sense of ownership over their chosen idols. Fascinating stuff.
I was genuinely thankful for the art distraction today.
Til the morn,
Suzanne
482/500
Thrummie Bizzum 
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