view then in the 80s, biblical costume. i mean you see a lot of people around now like that, but then you didn t. and the shock of this image of these women dressed. dressed in biblical costume practising with rocket launchers in the middle of the desert was a very shocking image. and so it demanded, i made a painting of it. and you know, things happen, and i respond to them. so i suppose my question is, do you think we are. culturally more timid today? i you think we are. .. culturally more timid today? you think we are. culturally more timid today? i think so, es, more timid today? i think so, yes. and more timid today? i think so, yes. and all more timid today? i think so, yes, and all this more timid today? i think so, yes, and all this political i yes, and all this political correctness and the rest of it, yes. correctness and the rest of it, es. ., . correctness and the rest of it, yes- yes. - correctness and the rest of it, yes- yes. of i yes. you feelthat? yes, of cours
people, artists, even sportspeople like andy murray, michaeljackson, you painted. is there something about every portrait you do that is common to them all, awake you re looking at that person? well, i mean, it looking at that person? well, i mean. it is looking at that person? well, i mean, it is the looking at that person? well, i mean, it is the same looking at that person? well, i mean, it is the same for- mean, it is the same for everything i m trying paint. i try to empty myself so that the truth can come through me into the drawing or into the painting and it is the truth of the person in front of me, this period. do not to worry about like this, like this just happens. but i try to paint the spirit of the person. if i was painting you, for instance, the spirit comes through the floor into me and into the campus. [30 into me and into the campus. do ou into me and into the campus. do you have to like to paint them? well, i did turn down painting mrs thatcher, for instance.
is, in essence, an attempt to sort of. make art adhere to view of the world which is progressive, liberal, you know, this word which so many were people use now, woke. i wonder whether as an artist you feel there are constraints, unspoken constraints. i there are constraints, unspoken constraints. . . constraints. i can t be doing with constraints. constraints. i can t be doing with constraints. life - constraints. i can t be doing with constraints. life dictatesj with constraints. life dictates what i paint. if you ask me what i paint. if you ask me what i paint. if you ask me what i will be painting in six months, i couldn t answer you. because i don t know what might happen, somebody might die, or like that plenty of mine, gulf women prepare for war, done in the 80s, it was four years before the gulf war happened. but i saw this shocking image in the newspaper, it was a black and white image of these women which seemed to be, to my
and there is your father and i am wondering whether in retrospect you discovered you had a real painting talent,. yes, yes, he was always behind the daily telegraph. my mother was mother and father to me. then when i left, i had a lot of oil paint he retired from the bank at xt and said sadly one morning, he started to paint. 60. it brought us together and we loved each other very much. let together and we loved each other very much. together and we loved each other very much. let me ask about budget other very much. let me ask about budget painting. i other very much. let me ask about budget painting. you i other very much. let me ask. about budget painting. you had portraits famous around the world of very celebrated
honesty so i am wondering whether actually turning to painting and giving yourself to painting and giving yourself to painting is your bait i m getting to the truth that wasn t really there in your family? wasn t really there in your famil ? ., , wasn t really there in your famil ? . , , family? that is absolutely ri . ht. family? that is absolutely ritht. i family? that is absolutely right. i bedroom - family? that is absolutely right. i bedroom becamel family? that is absolutely i right. i bedroom became my studio and i tried to get at the truth because the rest of life was more of a sherrard and the undercurrent going on when ever spoken about. a charade. i ever spoken about. a charade ever spoken about. a charade. . . ., charade. i am aware looking across at charade. i am aware looking across at this charade. i am aware looking across at this amazing - charade. i am aware looking| across at this amazing studio space, a painting you did of yourfather space, a painting yo