"The skull portraits are working for me on many different levels. The first self portrait in 1996 was about exploring 'truth' and the disparity between how one appears to others and who one really is inside. The subjects, although very much alive, are always presented within a contextual reminder of death (or momento mori), an inevitable destiny and the end of life's journey. For me its not a morbid thing, more a motivator. I am no longer specifically interested in exploring themes of identity and fame through the portraits. More recently I have searched for what is of special, universal significance about the subject and communicated that through the action of the subject, by their relationship to their environment and the objects they are wearing or holding. Its no longer a portrait about a person but about what is of most interest and significance about them to me. This is reflected by the titles of the pieces that no longer define the portraits by the subject's name. I would like the skulls to be both mischievous and profound! For me, they are ultimately a metaphor for Art itself - the longest lasting and most compelling history of human achievement and culture". Alexander de Cadenet, 2010 |