Can You Tell What It Is Yet?

On a rainy Friday morning I ventured into Liverpool to check out the current exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery, Rolf Harris' "Can you tell what it is yet?"

I went with a very open mind, excited just to be there for the experience, but hoping to take away something more.

[The Lion King - Uneasy Truce]

If it's possible to be both excited snd disappointed by the same exhibition, I was. Spread across three (very busy) rooms, the exhibition takes us from his childhood, through his music career and his art career.

[Oil painted grand piano.]

So, why the disappointment? At times, it felt like a tribute. It felt like the type of exhibition one would go to after the artist had died. I felt uncomfortable prying into his childhood photos and pieces of his clothing from when he paints; and I hoped for more talk about technique and the influences upon his artistic life.

 

But, the art was great. When I think of an inspirational artist, Rolf Harris wouldn't have popped into my mind... Until now. I have struggled with portraiture for many years, and seeing his portraiture work develop was exciting. I came home and just wanted to pull out my paints and sketchbook and just start painting my own self portrait [sadly that will have to wait until I am well enough!]

[Rolf's recreation of Gustav Klimt's, The Kiss.]

 

Included in the exhibition was his first portarit using a palette knife, of his Dad, when Rolf was still in his teens. I should pick up a palette knife...

 

His portraits use such amazing use of colour, building up the layers. I always love it when portraits don't just use "flesh tones", but really bring it to life. Rolf always tries to make the same colour work in different areas of a painting, and that really helps to pull a picture together, I think.

[Self Portrait.]

 

I think what inspired me most about Rolf's work though, is the layers of paint. You could tell that many of his paintings started with a bold painted background, and I think that it is such a wonderful base. It adds texture under the brushstrokes, and it adds a lovely fullness and depth of colour.

 

[Sun on the Water Tresco.]

 

Oh, I need to paint...