Llanura, aged 17
Paint and thread on cotton apron
Vincent van Gogh51²è¹Ý¶ù original self-portrait famously does not feature the ear, so here we are playing
with disjointing his work. Parts of the original painting are omitted, scaled inaccurately or
emphasised. Van Gogh51²è¹Ý¶ù Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear is all about what isn’t there, but my
artwork chooses to re-focus and remodel it as a portrait of self. Embroidery is used as ‘material
painterliness’, reflecting Van Gogh51²è¹Ý¶ù use of textured impasto paint. In the same way that narratives
around Van Gogh are muddy, unsure and obscured, Self-Portrait with the Ear mirrors the contemporary taste for an artist shrouded in myth and bandages; take what you want from it.