Jimi Hendrix 

Editor: Here we have Patrick Procktor's watercolour portrait of "Jimi Hendrix." It has such a light, almost ephemeral quality. The way he captured Hendrix, looking off to the side... What do you make of it? Curator: Isn't it captivating? The translucence of the watercolour almost makes him glow. For me, Procktor captures a sense of vulnerability beneath the rockstar image. What I find particularly interesting is that while recognizably Hendrix, it possesses a caricature quality - there is an exaggeration of form that elevates the subject above mere portraiture. Don't you think it borders on iconic? Editor: I see that! It's interesting how Procktor implies form and contour through loose washes. What does this painting say about Procktor as an artist? Curator: Well, you see, Procktor was such a complex individual. On one hand a dazzling presence in London society, the kind of person people loved to watch and listen to. Yet, within his art there is a deeply intuitive and deeply melancholic quality that runs throughout his portraiture. Hendrix becomes something almost ethereal in this painting; as though we’re perceiving the memory of an experience. Editor: It’s such a different way of seeing a figure so often rendered in vivid colour. I learned so much from simply slowing down and really looking. Curator: Exactly! Sometimes, it's about stepping into the artist's mind and seeing what truths they unearth.