House of Windsor
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| Immortal, 2001. w 32cm, h 38cm. Pastel and charcoal on paper | Island Queen, 2003. h 76cm, w 64cm. Pastel and charcoal on paper |
| In life or death, the Queen Mother was seen as being beyond reproach and essentially untouchable, a concept I explored in 'Immortal'. It also refers loosely to an old Victorian illustration I found showing a stereotypical Indian holy man with matted hair interwoven with ritual objects. Medieval and renaissance images of royalty often included skulls or skeletons - a reminder that in the midst of life we are in death. There has long been a dearth of strong images of the royal family. The vast majority of images seek to flatter - I aim to get at a different truth. It is amazing how 'public opinion' can still be offended by quite benign images of the British Royal Family. |
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| Spellbound (The Split), 2001. w 28cm, h 38cm. Pastel andcharcoal on paper | The English Patient (The Split), 2001. w 28cm, h 38cm. Pastel and charcoal on paper | Princess, 1999. h 42cm, w 30cm. Pastel and charcoal on paper |
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El Dorado, 2005. Listen to Hew Locke talk about El Dorado here |
h 290cm, w 175cm, d 60cm. Wood and cardboard base, glue gun, screws, mixed media (plastic, fabric) |
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| Black Queen, 2004 | h 290cm, w 160cm, d 60cm. Wood and cardboard base, glue gun, screws, mixed media (plastic, fabric) |
| This on-going series has developed my interest in images of Glamour and Power and how these have changed during the last 50 years. My feelings about the Royals are ambivalent, I am simply fascinated by the institution and it's relationship to the press and public. My political position is neither republican nor monarchist. I am interested in producing powerful, magical images of the Royal Family and I find it strange that this could be viewed as being a perverse act for a Black artist. |
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| Happy Queen, 2004 | h 225cm, w 184cm. Cardboard, acrylic paint, permanent marker pen |
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| The Prince, 2001. h 216cm , w 135cm. Cardboard, acrylic paint, permanent marker pen | Smile, 2004. h 228cm, w 205cm. Cardboard, acrylic paint, permanent marker pen |
| There is a well established custom of Royalty being presented with images of themselves. My work references the myriad portraits of the Queen done in so-called 'primitive' or 'naïve' style by former and current subjects of the crown worldwide. There now exists a body of work representing members of the current royal family - Yoruba carvings, Indian miniatures, embroideries, printed Nigerian textiles – I am merely following in this tradition. I also look to local traditions such as the Pearly Kings and Queens London. |
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| Lady in Red, 2004. h 7', w 7', d 3". Beads, safety pins, mirror film, holographic film, all on MDF | England's Rose 1, 2003. h 60", w 16", d 16". Wood, cardboard, glue gun, textile mixed media |
As a child growing up in Guyana Queen Elizabeth II was on my school exercise books long after independence, and my friends and I would get into trouble for defacing the Queen with beard, moustache and spectacles. All images © Hew Locke and DACS 2005. |