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A poet, painter and songwriter who is perhaps best known for his 1969 album ‘Crystal Telephone’. In this 1966 self portrait, Durham is very much a ‘with-it’ young man of his time. His head is presented in a sturdy, four-square manner. His deadpan mien is self-consciously serious with gentleness and sensitivity. His right eye confronts us; his left eye seems to look away, creating a directness and obliqueness. At this time Durham was experimenting with mixed media: the picture is oil and hessian on board. The ‘polo-neck’ is composed of a cut-out hessian fragment. The stormily-painted, blue-black outer background reinforces the impression of man at one with the elements. Titles of his paintings such as ‘Shaman Breathing Flowers’, ‘Migration to the Sun’, ‘Bright Blaze of Crystal’ are lyrical and mystical.
Ruth was inspired by Durham’s show with Nicholas Treadwell. Her notes on the exhibition catalogue noted that Durham’s 'alive and odd shapes, the dinosaur-like creatures of [one picture] are childlike.'
Title
Self Portrait
Date
1966
Medium
oil & hessian on board
Measurements
H 30 x W 25 cm
Accession number
PCF30
Acquisition method
acquired by Ruth Borchard as part of the original collection
Work type
Painting
