Oil on Canvas - 35cm X 30cm
Saul Adamczewski is a musician, songwriter and singer/guitarist of the bands Fat White family and insecure men. I first met Saul many years ago when I was playing with my old band Thee Spivs and shared the stage with The Saoudi’s on numerous occasions, that Saul and the Saoudi brothers of the Fat White Family were then apart of. On the left hand side of the painting you can see the Queens Head Pub, In Brixton where the Fat White Family lived and formed in 2011. This also represents, Sauls roots growing up in Brixton, South London, where he began playing music and performing at a young age. In front is a demonic figure taken from the Hieronymus Bosch painting ‘The Temptation of St.Anthony’ that I used to represent the temptations and dark side of the music industry that Saul has experienced first hand. On the right hand is an insight into Sauls private world, that shows his personal possessions and both musical and literary influences. I was particularly interested in exploring the internal and external worlds of Sauls life, using his interior and exterior environments as a way of visually conveying this.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm X 25cm
Aleister Crowley dubbed by the press as the ‘wickedest man in the world’, was an occultist, magician, poet, painter, novelist, mountaineer and first to attempt the summit of K2. Born in 1875 to a highly religious family, he lost his father aged 11, resulting in a deep resentment against the morals and religious values of his time. As an adult he became fascinated with the Occult and performed rituals to evoke Pagan and demonic deities and heard voices telling him to form his own religion ‘Thelema’. Throughout his life he was labelled evil for his sadistic acts of sex magic and debauchery and died a penniless Heroin addict living in Hastings. However after his death in 1947 he became a cult icon amongst the youth movements of the 1960’s, even appearing on the ‘Sgt. pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ Beatles album cover.
Oil on Canvas - 30cm X 40cm
I painted this self portrait whilst my debut solo show 'Folk Renaissance' was taking place in early 2017 at the Hix Art gallery. Whilst the show was on I found it difficult to concentrate and became easily distracted and ended up taking frequent walks to the viewpoint on Primrose Hill that is pictured behind me in the painting. Despite my distraction I completed this piece over the course of the month that the show was on.
Oil on Canvas - 50cm X 42cm
In London during the Early Middle Ages a curfew bell was sounded at St Mary-Le-Bow Church in Cheapside. This took place at 9pm in the summer and even earlier in the dark months of winter. This was to mark the beginning of the forbidden hours when the city gates were locked, all candles dimmed and all taverns emptied. The city was then a no-go zone and people were not allowed to leave there homes or enter it gates. Any person that was found to be roaming the streets was arrested and charged as a ‘Night-walker’.
Oil on Canvas - 55cm X 55cm
Richard Dadd was an English painter born in 1817. He studied at the Royal Academy and In 1842 his patron Sir Thomas Phillips commissioned Dadd to travel with him to the Middle East to document his journey. During the trip Dadd’s behaviour caused alarm when he became violent and delusional. Philips, now concerned for his own safety, called a premature end to the trip. Once Dadd returned home we was referred to a physician who wrongly advised him to rest when in fact he was suffering from Bipolar disorder. Rest did not help and after another psychotic break down tragedy struck when Richard Dadd murdered his father and fled to France. After his capture he was sent to the insane asylum Bedlam (now the imperial war museum, Lambeth) Where Dadd was encouraged to paint by a physician named Alexander Morison where he created some of his most celebrated and interesting artworks, including a portrait of Morison that I have depicted Dadd painting within this piece.
Oil on Canvas - 45cm X 65cm
Charles Darwin was was an English naturalist, geologist, author and biologist. He is best known for his contributions to science and for his seminal book 'On the Origin of Species' that presented to the world Darwins theory of evolution that is now credited by scientists and philosophers as one of the most important ideas that a human mind has ever produced. It has also been said that one of the often overlooked contributing factors to Darwins theory was inspired by his observations of the struggling lives of Victorian Londoners and the unforgiving 'survival of the fittest' nature of London itself.
Oil on Canvas - 50cm X 40cm
Charles Booth was a social researcher and social reformer. He most famously was responsible for creating poverty maps of London that depicted the inhabitants social classes, street by street, area by area, using a colour code system to mark which households belonged to which class.
Booths poverty maps were recently bought back to public attention through the tv series 'The Secret History Of Our Streets' in one episode 'Arnold Circus' in Shoreditch, was the focus. Arnold Circus I found as a significant backdrop for the painting as it was one of Britains first ever council estate's, the old notorious slum that once stood in its place, the 'Old Nichol' was demolished in order for it to be built in 1890. Forcing out a whole community of locals who by most accounts ended up in worse conditions than they had been in originally. This old story reminded me of what is still happening in the area today with new developments and gentrification forcing out the original inhabitants and how history seems to repeat itself.
THE RAVENMASTER (2017)
Oil on Canvas - 45cm X 65cm
According to London folklore and legend six ravens must be kept at the Tower of London at all times. If one was to leave or die without prior replacement the city of London and the crown will fall. This is why there are always six ravens on duty at the Tower and an extra in reserve.
In order to ensure that the birds are protected, one of the Towers Yeoman Warders is given the honoury position of the Ravenmaster. The Yeomen Warders were first introduced in 1485 by Henry VII and to be a Yeoman Warder, you must have served a minimum of 22 years in the military and hold an exemplary record as well as the rank of warrant officer or above. The current Ravenmaster is Christopher Skaife who I visited at the Tower in order to make some studies that resulted in this painting. The Raven depicted in the painting is his personal favourite called 'Merlina'. Ravens are an extremely intelligent animal that were once one of the most common species of birds to be found in London.