Three portraits
The first painting, by Meredith Frampton, reminded me of my Aunt (who I am living with here). I think it's the woman's tall build that resembles my Aunt's figure, her thinking expression and also the objects that surround this woman in Frampton's painting. My Aunt's small flat has ceramic vases on display, piles of books and sheet music and a harpsichord that she plays every morning. I suppose these objects tell you something about her; interests and so forth.
Thinking about these objects and speculating on my Aunt's connection to them is particularly significant to how I'm beginning to spend my time here and getting used to being in my Aunt's company. I think that the woman's violin and the vase in Frampton's painting suggests a lot about the kind of person this woman is.
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| Portrait of a Young Woman, Meredith Frampton |
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| Lucy McKenzie from a great show at Cabinet, Vauxhall |
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| Isabella of France, Walter Richard Sickert |
The second painting, by Lucy McKenzie, depicts a woman (a little mannequin-like) in relation to the city (Glasgow) and her accompanying objects. This woman and this map of central Glasgow were repeated images throughout her exhibition at Cabinet, Vauxhall as were the objects that appear beside her in this painting, such as the red chair with the curved back and the red silk she is gently holding.
The third, a painting of actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies as Queen Isabella of France in Marlowe's Edward II, is a depiction of the actress on stage. I'm not quite sure why I picked this one out, but I presume I was thinking of Derek Jarman's film adaptation of the play. Thinking of the comparison between this 1932 painting by Sickert and Jarman's queer interpretation of the play. This painting seems to remain as a souvenir of this particular production, while I'm still searching for remnants of Jarman's work around London. Apparently Sickert became a good friend of the actress after writing her a fan letter in the 1930s. Being in London for me is, to an extent, about my love for Jarman's work and the passionate life that is recorded in his diaries. I saw Sickert's painting on my visit to Tate Britain.
The third, a painting of actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies as Queen Isabella of France in Marlowe's Edward II, is a depiction of the actress on stage. I'm not quite sure why I picked this one out, but I presume I was thinking of Derek Jarman's film adaptation of the play. Thinking of the comparison between this 1932 painting by Sickert and Jarman's queer interpretation of the play. This painting seems to remain as a souvenir of this particular production, while I'm still searching for remnants of Jarman's work around London. Apparently Sickert became a good friend of the actress after writing her a fan letter in the 1930s. Being in London for me is, to an extent, about my love for Jarman's work and the passionate life that is recorded in his diaries. I saw Sickert's painting on my visit to Tate Britain.