Nic Plowman: The Sensation of Logic.
In viewing himself firstly as a drawer rather than a painter, and being known more for delicate watercolours than lusty oils and acrylics, Nic Plowman’s Popes, Kings and Other Fools exhibition at Anthea Polson Art marks a turn in his career. Where Plowman’s two previous shows were self-referential in reflecting his serious health issues and near-death experience, his new work examines the unparalleled status of religious figures in Christian art. Plowman explains the impetus for this exhibition as being: ‘I have always been fascinated by the strong narratives and the use of symbols in the great religious works, but how do you make a religious work when one’s inherited beliefs no longer measure up?’ [1]
Philosopher, Alain de Botton observes ‘one of the most difficult aspects of renouncing religion is relinquishing ecclesiastical art and all its beauty and emotion therein.‘ [2] In a crisis of faithlessness akin to the plight described by de Botton, Plowman tackles the papal portraits of the Renaissance and other religious icons with a conflicting blend of respect and mockery. Respect for tradition is suggested in the detailed copying of parts of the original work, and mockery arises from the artist’s changes that alter the entire tone of the original painting. © 30 March 2014, Jane Denison.
