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Untitle, Oil, Tar and Feathers, 210cm x140cm

This painting is just about complete, so I have decided to give a little background, as I feel it is quite interesting how the subject matter of this work has somewhat been injected into the actual painting itself. I'll explain...

This painting explores the punishment method of Tarring and Feathering. Mostly used in Feudal Europe it has popped up in different instances throughout recent history. In 2007 a drug dealer in Belfast was Tarred and feathered in an act of vigilante/community justice. The Subject in this painting was the victim of tarring and feathering in America in the early 1900's.

I layered tar and feathers in with the oil paint which was a technical challenge in itself. I have mimicked where the original feathers were attached to his body. I see the tar and feather inclusion as a type of bridge, a connection to the event itself.

As always technology plays a big part in the preparation of the image I paint from. I have layered many different images onto a single black and white photo which informs the colours. The layering of images and colours also for me represents the skewing of memory over time and hints at technologies place within modern society.

Let me know what you think.

Daire.