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Mariette Bergh
The story behind Kate and Dave
‘Kate’ was inspired by the 60’s photograph by Sam Haskins called ‘Cowboy Kate’, partly as a tribute after his recent death, but for the most part it is an attempt to immortalize youth. Placed next to a contemporary youth, ‘Dave’, the age gap between them is bridged as ‘Dave’ may as well have come from the 60’s given his bohemian appearance. Kate and Dave are decades apart, but here they are both young and both ageless – an idea that is both beautiful and tragic.
The graffiti-like paint drips refer to the fun, anarchic urban attitude of modern youth, which was much the same then, in the 60’s. Time is defied as black and white is juxtaposed with the saturated colours of the ‘fresh’ dripping paint.
The concept of age never ceases to baffle me. Styles may change over the years, but somehow stereotypes remain. Rebels tend to associate with long hair or means of expressing individuality with excessive accessories or recreational drug use.
Blissful ignorance towards the viewer, with the delusion of being’ larger than life’, these paintings give the cold shoulder while at the same time strike either a desire to join them, or a nostalgia to something that once was.
