Puce Moment

I must admit to only being a very recent convert to Kenneth Anger. I have been aware of Hollywood Babylon for a while and have often referred to it when writing and painting but I always thought that his films were a bit like Andy Warhol's - interesting ideas but very boring to watch. Then Kirsty Buchanan (who incidentally is currently showing at Transition in Real Dolls) introduced me to Puce Moment and I was hooked. Puce Moment was made in the 1940s and features a 1920s starlet looking through her wardrobe. The colours are simply stunning and it is short enough to not be boring. I love it so much that it has become the inspiration for the eponymous upcoming painting show at Transition.

Puce Moment (at Transition) features four painters - Paul Housley, Alli Sharma, Carla Busuttil and... me. I am making a new series of work featuring Elvis' 70s stage outfits - particularly his capes. I want to celebrate the beauty and over the topness of what are intrinsically quite crass clothes - I am hoping to somehow get his intense stage performances into the work and am exclusively listening to his 70s live performances while painting... it is still work in progress.