The body of work presented here is taken from an ongoing project focusing specifically on aging politicians. These often fascinating figures have in their prime attempted to steer the world, for better or worse, in the direction of their specific vision. As a boundary for the project I have chosen to limit the personalities to those who have held office within my own lifetime.

Each portrait is painted with oil on canvas and captures an image representative of an amalgamation of one etched upon my mind combined with a clichéd mass media image, which can easily be recognised and related to. While painting my references are images taken from mass media sources, focusing on pivotal moments in each figure’s career, that I feel have had the most impact on the public psyche. This has allowed me to subtly play with the popular perception of each figure in my composition. For example: Reagan, the Teflon president with his glinting movie star smile; Thatcher, tough, proud, formidable, hawk like; Gorbachev, driven, single-minded, stone faced.

The ground behind these figures has been painted white, paying homage to the blank slate that the decision maker steps onto which they allow themselves to create their vision. The white background also works to indicate the ambiguity that surrounds a public figure. Forcing one to remember that we do not know what goes on behind closed doors. The work is a reflection on the levels of transparency and the nature of a finely crafted public image. These figures are largely unknown to us as human beings.