At Odds

60 x 50 cm Oil on Linen

At Odds’ was painted from a photograph in which I set up the lighting and composition so that it was painting-ready - inspired by Vermeer’s ‘camera obscura.’ Highly staged, ambiguous, and charged with psychological tension, its cryptic narrative enables the viewer to derive their own personal meaning. I’m interested in telling stories of experiences that are both personal and universal, my figures are not of specific individuals. I erased the character’s face, while the second figure is turned away, so they become archetypes, like figurative insights into a human condition. Personally, I created this during a very difficult point in my life where I was struggling with my mental health and financially in a city where I knew nobody. I felt faceless with no identity, the cup about to fall off the table symbolises this imminent breaking point due to surrounding circumstances. The atmosphere of pensive tension mirrors the battle myself and my partner had together during this low point for both of us, the two figures are actually myself and him though the viewer would not know this as the faces are hidden. The title 'at odds' can have many interpretations, at odds with our situation, or the fact that it seemed against all odds to get out of our dire predictament.