Portrait (D.R.) 2019 Charcoal on paper 76 x 52 cm by Roger Barnard

One of a series of large drawings based on mugshots. In my recent Canvas presentation, I said I wasn't interested in telling stories. I think that's true, but maybe I am interested in suggesting stories. The mugshots are frontal, unsmiling, and accompanied by a brief account of a crime or crimes. They are reminiscent of the early 'large head' portraits by Chuck Close, but far from being deadpan and a vehicle for a formal exercise, they suggest a narrative of turbulent and often violent life stories.