The Catch (1979)

The Catch series

The Catch is an ongoing series of paintings first started in 2018. I find vintage black and white photographs captivating. Some have a real depth to them, with a direct link to the past. I’ve tried to recreate that feel in oil paint. Hopefully they evoke that familiarity and nostalgia before a second glance shows that something is not quite right. The fish that have been caught here are plastic soy sauce containers. Obviously, the absurdity of that amuses me, and hopefully the viewer. There is another layer to the imagery that highlights the concerns of overfishing and single-use plastic waste, but mainly it appeals to me as it’s humorous — packaged perfectly for immediate consumption.