Retrospection

The original was created using oil on linen.

English artist Miles Johnston’s early childhood living in Brunei, had a profound effect on both him and his art practice. Moving abroad opened his eyes to how different the world can be, and his art shares those differences in an often sublime, almost terrifying way. Of his work, the artist writes, “I work primarily in graphite and oils, using the human form as a vehicle to attempt to process the intensity and profound strangeness of the collective human experience.”

The word retrospection means the action of looking back on or reviewing past events, especially those in one’s own life. Much like a Russian nesting doll, and drawing on surrealism, Johnston vividly captures the figure’s dream-like state as she seemingly reveals new layers of herself while reflecting on her own past.

For an easy activity to do at home, see: https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/paper-cup-matryoshka-dolls. Be creative! How about creating a self-portrait capturing different times in your life?

*surrealism – An artistic and literary movement led by French poet André Breton from 1924 through World War II. Drawing on the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud, the Surrealists sought to overthrow what they perceived as the oppressive rationalism of modern society by accessing the sur réalisme (superior reality) of the subconscious. In his 1924 “Surrealist Manifesto,” Breton argued for an uninhibited mode of expression derived from the mind’s involuntary mechanisms, particularly dreams, and called on artists to explore the uncharted depths of the imagination with radical new methods and visual forms. These ranged from abstract “automatic” drawings to hyper-realistic painted scenes inspired by dreams and nightmares to uncanny combinations of materials and objects.