Hamish Blakely
In January 2019, Hamish Blakely debuted his collection of fifteen original artworks, entitled iMasterpiece , and caught the attention of collectors around the world. One of the pieces, Sweet Venus , was particularly sought after and it is with great pleasure that we announce its availability as a new hand-varnished canvas on board limited edition print.
Hamish talks us through the inspiration behind, and meaning to be found within, this culturally significant piece: "Velasquez’s wonderful ‘The Rokeby Venus’ was the clear inspiration behind my ‘Sweet Venus’ original. Commenting on our social media craze of 'look at me' narcissism, my Venus is far more self-conscious and camera hungry. As if not erotic enough, she bares her tattooed body with grace but also a yearning for attention and admiration. She is a modern Venus, prey to the frivolity of Instagram and selfie culture which has her unabashedly posing with a Coke can and a pair of Christian Louboutin heels. The cherub is also adorned with a Dolce & Gabbana arm cuff, so she is not alone in her advertising of designer labels. The colours and mood of this piece are very carefully considered. While this is a stark image of self pride and vanity, there is no reason to treat it with disdain; instead, she is Sweet Venus Hand Varnished Canvas on Board | Edition of 50 Image Size 86cm x 73cm Framed Size 105cm x 93cm £795 Framed
celebrated. Surrounded by warm hues and textures that all balance against one another, from the rich red of the curtains and the sumptuous, burnt orange of the cushion, to the cooler Louis Vuitton embossed bed linen and pastel shades of the graffiti. She looks quite French to me, especially with her beautifully coiled updo. She is her own Muse, and welcomes the modern world with all its consumer insanity. I wanted this painting to express a heady mixture of superficiality and old master weight."
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