Hugh Mendes

(b 1955, United Kingdom. Lives and works in London)

Since 2001 Mendes has been making paintings based on obituaries and political stories. His interest-cum-obsession began with his own political awakening; sparked by the events of 9/11 and the so-called ”˜War on Terror'. More recent paintings are borne out of preparatory studies formed from the obituaries of other artists; which include re-making and appropriating their self-portraits and taking recent newspaper clippings that are transposed onto images of long dead artists such as Rembrandt and Van Gogh to form over-painted collages. This cryptic and seemingly bogus translation takes the subjects out of the context of mass media; and back into the realm of ”˜fine art'.