When looking at portraits the traditional way is to see the individual the model, the muse posed sat there, for example, the queen and many other figure heads before.
Here this portrait although it is of an individual you see, this is someone who is known so although this is an individual, it is hard not to separate the environment from the portrait. The story is told through the crown upon her head this can highlight the person’s identity and blind you from truly seeing who they are.
DAME OF THRONES
The Queen, photographed by Cecil Beaton to commemorate her coronation, in 1953.
Caroline walker grimm.gallery.com
Caroline Walker Ultra Sound 2021
This painting is from an exhibition of early 2021, titled Birth Reflections.
When looking at Caroline Walker’s work she pulls you into a world which is unstaged.
The appearance of the authentic nature has you looking into a world unknown. This subject, birth reflections, is a subject that we could be drawn to as it is life and nature.
Finding familiarity in her work as it is life-like. When looking at her paintings they
appear to be inspirational for women, making these spaces tell the stories of women in relation to nature and the environment which she chooses to share through the use of paint.
Nick Fear
Not titled
A portrait artist, based in Leicester, working through the medium of oil paint. He works closely with the client and bases the outcome on what the client is wanting. His skill is bringing his style into it.
This is a staged portrait; however, this does not mean his work does not capture the essence of the person. This sits close to the family photography places where you go to see a photographer and you posse until you find the right one. With Fear’s work he will do sketches or work from photographs, also building up an image of how you wish it to look. I personally find these images give me two different displays of portraiture. Caroline Walker’s is poetic with people and the display of the environment self-explanatory with and an element of mystery. Nick Fear’s work does what it says on the can. His work is about capturing you without source for depth or meaning although it might have meaning to the customer.
