Faceless – who nose who? Perpetual change in the looking glass

ARTIST STATEMENT

My series of works have been devoted to moments of change – mentally, physically, and environmentally. Comprising of time and concepts, T.S. Eliot in “Burnt Norton” and the Greek philosopher, Zeno or Elea (c. 450BCE) and his paradox between Achilles and the turtle, made it useful to self-question portraiture – the transition from moment to moment, and not necessarily in a linear fashion, the effect of the past on the present, and the present being confronted by issues of moment. How does this effect the sitter, the same is happening to the painter.

In traditional portraiture, one documents a moment in time i.e. a “likeness”. How does one capture the dimensional shift by following Zeno to his absurd end or try to capture multiple changes of references out of time ricocheting in time.

It is with some of these thoughts I felt it worthy of exploration and conundrum in visual language that challenge the artist to create an appropriate portrait hence the title “Faceless, who nose who … Perpetual change in the looking glass.

Adriano Gemelli

Installation image

“Sketch 1” – Adriano Gemelli
750mm x 500mm
Mixed media & copper on paper

“Sketch 2” – Adriano Gemelli
750mm x 500mm
Graphite on paper

“Peter Jago”
Digital print from sketch with reflective hologram on aluminum
1775mm x 615mm

“Sketch 4”
750mm x 500mm
Graphite and copper on paper

“Sketch 4”
750mm x 500mm
Acrylic and mixed media on paper

“Sketch 5” – Adriano Gemelli
750mm x 500mm
Gold and mixed media on paper