I wanted to briefly talk about the painter/printmaker Georges Rouault, whose work I first came across a number of years ago in a book containing his print series, Miserere, which translates to Mercy.
It was around the time I was doing my Exiles series and in his work I found an immediate connection in both spirit and content. I easily stepped into his raw, expressionist prints and when looking further into his work, particularly his paintings, was equally impressed with his rough brushwork and his use of dark outlines in his work, an influence of his early career as a glass painter.
I was also drawn to his subject matter and his use of the spiritual in his work. His harlequins and kings impacted me immediately. Also, the idea of using his images as pieces to a larger cycle was also influential.
Redtree Times 