Hamish Blakely

Biography:
A painting should speak for itself. As Fritz Lang, the great Austrian film maker and director of “Metropolis” stated, “When a director makes a film and it doesn’t express what he wants to say and he needs to give an interview to explain to an audience why and what; he is a lousy director.”

I certainly don’t suggest an Artist be aloof or even this dogmatic, as I have enjoyed countless discussions with collectors that have left me with a vivid and refreshed perspective of my work, but it is a striking remark that applies to Art; a painting should grab the viewer without an essay or speech, leaving further explanation supplementary rather than vital.

Where possible, my own thoughts should recede to allow space for the views of the audience.