SELF-PORTRAIT WITH GLASSES by Toby Michael
Oil on linen
55.5 x 45.5 cm
50 x 40 cm
£2250
Artist Statement
My art strives to weave together personal observations of the natural world with historical and contemporary iconography. By juxtaposing imagery from modern culture with nature, I can create art with an honest yet ethereal quality.
My style is grounded in 19th century academicism, with a strong aesthetic and conceptual influence from the Pre-Raphaelites and Impressionists. I hope the paintings I create are both windows and mirrors, reflecting the archetypes and axioms that
underpin civilisation, yet in a world that does not feel like the everyday.
These pieces are part of my personal exploration into the concept of Englishness, and how it manifests within myself as a biracial man, as well as its influence within the wider, diverse landscape of 21st century England