...I had the privilege of having this life-sized portrait of Kate Middleton, now The Duchess of Cambridge, in a solo exhibition at my London gallery, Eleven. The painting is called "Genie." She holds a commemorative coke bottle, and morphs from a gigantic bottle that rests on the union flag. I had first seen these bottles for sale when I was in London prior to the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981, exactly 30 years earlier.
All of the works in my 2011 show at Eleven (called "Sensory Overload") featured monumental human figures interacting with objects of obsession, distraction and addiction. The "Genie" painting is actually a diptych, with the bottom section (featuring the flag) being a separate piece. The dimensions of this and all of the other paintings in the exhibit conform to the Golden Section ratio, and were either diptychs or multi-panel pieces. When I realized the exhibit would be up during the period of the royal wedding, with the parade route passing close by the gallery along Buckingham Palace Road, I couldn't resist the opportunity to commemorate the event - in my own peculiar way.
Happy 10th, William & Kate!
The Telegraph 24 Apr 2011: