The WINDOW series by Anthony Christian

I have always worked in series. Even when I painted portraits professionally, I tended to do at least one and often two or even three extra sketches of my sitter before choosing the final pose for the portrait. Many people suggest over the years that I should perhaps be a sculptor, so much did I want to see everything “in the round,” but I simply never felt the same passion towards sculpture that I felt for painting or drawing.
Partly to pay tribute to the seven subjects that had caused me artistic pleasure and satisfaction as well as earning me an excellent reputation and living, but also partly to see the subject “in the round,” during the mid-nineties I invented what I called a Door-Frame. This was a framework made up of 18 panels, framing the pair of wooden doors which each contained two further panels. This door was to be opened to reveal the final masterpiece of the subject inside the Door-Frame. Thus it was a work of some twenty three panels. Twenty three angles or aspects of one subject! I found it very satisfying but the actual door-frames were both extremely heavy and even a little clumsy in design. However, I spent four and a half years (in Bali) painting seven of them.
Far more recently, in fact this year 2007, I was painting a new series of works, mostly still-lifes but also some nudes and some landscapes. On seeing several of the trees I had painted lying together on a table almost like tiles, I started playing with them to find the format which most pleased me. Eventually I came upon one that I really liked where 12 (6” x 6”) panels surrounded one larger (12” x 12”) panel. This pleased my artist’s eye completely and also fulfilled my artistic desire to show things in the round. Thus ‘Windows’ were born.
After completing “Trees”, I painted some of the most colourful flowers I could find and made “Flowers” (above) . My intention now is to cover all the subjects I work with, making a window – or several – of each subject from Landscape to Still-Life, and from the Nude to Portraits. It is certainly the most exciting and fulfilling painting project of my life to date. ANTHONY CHRISTIAN