Daphne Todd's Last Portrait of Mother
Daphne Todd'sÌýpainting "Last Portrait of Mother"
has just won the BP Portrait Award.Ìý
There's been a mixed reaction to this painting. It only struck me as I was talking to Daphne earlier that seeing a dead body isn't the cultural norm for many people.
But here inÌýIrelandÌýwe make an art form of it.
The Irish Wake isÌýa cultural phenomenon.ÌýThe deceased comesÌýback to the house, takes up centre stage, there's tea, sandwiches, sometimes alcohol, there used to be plates of cigarettes passed around, there are stories and prayers. It's a social occasion.Ìý
Daphne says she had a very understanding undertaker who let her sit with her dead mother. For three days after she died, Daphne sat and painted her.ÌýIn a funny way she said it became social too.
SheÌýcould hear the stone masons in another room whistling while they carved headstones.ÌýThe undertakers would put her name in the pot for the tea break.ÌýBut she couldn't bring herself toÌýdrink her tea and eat her kit-kat in front of her mother and would leave the room.ÌýÌý
MirrorsÌýin a wake house are usually coveredÌýorÌýtheir faces turned to the wall.Ìý
With "Last Portrait of Mother", Daphne Todd uncovers the mirror, and reflects her dead mother back to the viewer. In doing so she's breaking one of the last Western cultural taboos - staring into theÌýface of death. ÌýÌý
Comment number 1.
At 1st Jul 2010, kierantherock wrote:Marie, in my opinion this is a fantastic and challenging work of art. It pushes those boundaries which should be pushed. This almost cold, dark embracing energy we love as Irish bards, writers, singers, poets and with this intelligent artist make us who we are.
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