Learn more about Graham Dean's creative process as he answers questions about one of his most famous prints, 'Close-up Kiss 1988'.
1) What inspired you to create this piece?
This painting is actually a portrait of myself and my wife from now 36 years ago although it's often thought of being a recent work . I wanted to make a painting in the grand tradition of 'Kiss ' artworks - Klimt,Rodin,Munch etc These were my influences. A year before making Close-up Kiss I made a much larger Kiss painting on the same subject, hence the title Close-up Kiss though it also refers to my interest in films.
2) What mediums did you use to create this work?
It's watercolour, I'm not sure which paper I used back then . It wasn't too long after switching from painting life size acrylic on canvas paintings.
3) Who are your biggest artistic influences?
Apart from the ones I've just mentioned in reference to Close-up Kiss, I am often influenced as much by frescos/murals from ancient Rome as cutting edge contemporary art. Munch,Bacon, Rodin, the filmmaker Tarkovsky,Nolde - these have all been in my thoughts over what is now my 50 years of being an exhibiting painter.
4) How do you find new inspiration?
This is the question that is always the most difficult to answer. I find that nowadays I can learn as much from an exhibition of great work as I can from a really bad one. It's unusual that the paintings I remember and perhaps we're the most influential were the ones I didn't like at first . But something about them got under my skin and on returning to them I then recognised how good and perhaps ground breaking they were. Also the exhibitions that I really remember and have really enjoyed are those where I feel like I've entered into the artists head ,I'm in their world and I see how they see it. That can be very rewarding.
We are excited to showcase a collection of fine art prints exclusively through Bridgeman Editions. Each print is produced on Archival digital print on Hahnemühle German etching paper. All prints within Dean's collection are available both framed and unframed and come attached with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Visit Graham Dean's artist page to find out more about this limited edition print!