Your Future Now (2003)
Oil on canvas, 80x80cm
Private collection
This painting is based on several photographs taken at Carter's Steam Fair, which happened to be at Victoria Park over the Whitsun bank holiday. The subject attracted me for several reasons. The painting has the appearance of being a portrait, but is actually a likeness of an automaton, around which something of the uncanny lingers, and the automaton also has the supernatural ability of telling one's fortune (residual belief in the supernatural also being an example of the uncanny, according to Freud, and as such the painting appears over-determined). I also liked the way the booth provides a natural framing device. Despite being called Old Betsy, the woman appears quite young, and no doubt conforms to some stereotype of gypsy sexuality.
©copyright 2005 Nicholas Middleton