Distanced Past...

graphite & putty eraser/20x30cm
source: 6th generation p/copy of original B&W image from University of Gloucestershire 'Pittville Studios 07' brochure

Another example of a drawing processed from an immediate source ‘degraded’ through numerous stages of photocopying from its original state, in this instance not a newspaper reproduction but rather an image chosen from an academic prospectus.
Again, each subsequent generation of the process of mechanical reproduction loses something in the way of detail & tonal subtlety, establishing increasing aesthetic distance from the source, as then, further, does the act of drawing.

The appeal of the image resided in both its delightful & always compelling ‘retro’ style, its obvious ‘archival’ nature, & also its relation to examples (such as 'Folding Dryer' of 1962) of Gerhard Richter’s painting from the early to mid 1960s, based, in best ‘Pop’ art tradition similar to those contemporaneous works of Andy Warhol, upon product advertisements from newspapers. In this instance, both the product & stylings might be of a more glamorous nature than those typical of either Richter or Warhol, but the vintage places it firmly within such a context. Although the details may change over time – obviously, with new product, the ‘latest thing’, always to market in the interests of the economy – still the essential language of selling (lifestyles & aspirations attached to the goods themselves) remains constant, & there’s something irresistible about the visual aspect of advertising campaigns, however awful the fascination might be. Interesting to note the scale of the television in relation to today’s drive into the gigantism of widescreen & wall-sized ‘home cinema’ systems...

Soundtrack:

The Beatles homemade compilation of tracks dating 1964-66
Portishead 'Third'