Read My Mind

Acrylic on wood.

This painting was a finalist in the McGivern Prize in 2016.  The theme was Text.

I like exploring the private vs the public: the way we present ourselves to the world, and the things we choose to hide.  I am particularly interested in dress.  T-shirts are such a convenient way to tell the world how cool you are, what brands you aspire to, what you find funny or provocative.  They are less likely to bring out our more vulnerable side.  I thought I would try to flip that over with this painting.

The Chanel Man is a motif I have utilised ever since I saw a homeless man in Fitzroy wearing a t-shirt just like this one back in 2010.