Art is such a personal choice. It is sometimes hard to explain why we like one piece over another. I have been thinking about the impact that images, and art, have upon us and how much of an impact they can make on peoples lives.
Thinking back to my fascination with images I have been trying to remember the ones which stand out for me growing up. When I was very young, probably 3 or 4, I remember really vividly standing in front of this painting and wondering about it. I have tried to find it again but no matter how hard I try it just seems to elude me. In my mind it has a black background with a child on it crying, possibly holding a doll. The child is dressed in fancy rich period clothing. I remember thinking about this painting everytime I saw it. I would stand in front of it just staring. I do recall wondering why they would have a picture of something so sad. When I try and focus on the details of this painting ( with a view to seeing it again) I cannot grasp them, they seem to float in front of my mind just out of reach. This painting was in a friends house I think, they must have thought me very strange staring at this painting!
Another piece which has stayed with me is the charging elephant print, popular in the 70’s by Rex. Although I did manage to find a copy of this painting it is not quite how I remember it. My memory of it is that it was much more orange in tone, like sunset colours, but in reality it is very muted. I think my Grandparents had this one but I cannot be sure. I know it hung on a mantlepiece so I must have seen it everytime I went to visit.
My parents had a collection of four seasons prints by Peter Brueghel the younger which I think they had mounted themselves on blocks of wood. These we quite muted in colour too. I can’t quite remember what I liked about them at the time but I remember I liked looking at all the details of the people and I liked the idea of the seasons being depicted in this way.
Why do some images resonate and stay with us so much? What is it that makes them stick? Does this apply to all images or is it just paintings? I remember the Sanderson wallpaper in my parents dining room very well. So many questions!
What images have stuck with you? Why do you think that is?
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