Harewood Castle Self Portrait
Harewood Castle Self Portrait, 2001
by Jason Brooks (b.1968)
You may have thought this painting was a photograph? In this way the picture plays with the identity of the art form itself.
Process plays a crucial part in the construction of Brooksâ photo-realist paintings which are most often portraits. He works from black and white photographs which are then painted in scrupulous detail using only black paint, an air-brush and scalpel to achieve a meticulous finish.
This example of Brooksâ work is in some respects atypical. It is his first and only self-portrait but his face appears only faintly in the image, as an illusory reflection on an imaginary sheet of picture glass. It is also more modest in scale than usual due to its inspiration.
The picture is based on a photograph of a 19th century Turner landscape painting at Harewood House, near Leeds. The inclusion of his self-portrait, however faint, allows us to sense his presence both as artist and viewer. Working from a photograph enables him to be objective about his own representation, paying tribute to Turner and at the same time linking himself to time honoured artistic precedents.
Monochrome air brush painting on canvas
Purchased through the Contemporary Art Society Special Collection Scheme with Lottery funding from the Arts Council England, 2001