Four Eyes

Size: 21 x 28 cm
Medium: oil and enamel on board
 
This work is part of my Found Photos series that was completed for my Master of Fine Arts degree. The images are online photos that have been disposed of by someone (perhaps the image taker) and then found and uploaded onto the internet for voyeuristic viewing. They display imperfection, failure, candour and humour as we view an instance of a stranger's life.. either discarded, lost or unwanted.
 
A camera can create a  plethora of instantaneous moments - poorly composed, shaky, blurry images that may fail to 'capture the moment' and so, are thrown away. By painting someones rejected photograph I am examining this unwanted moment. Spending time with it in an attempt to faithly recapture the moment that was deemed worthy of capturing, but then released. The long process of painting these 'failed' images disputes the inadequacies of these slices of life and honours discarded memories. They are liminal spaces, lifetimes of daily slices between the ones we wish to promote of ourselves, those we cherish and keep. I think most of life is made up of these "between moments" the clumsy, sometimes dull and awkward moments that make up a life.