By Jimmy Merris
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Jonathan Pike, Marudi, Sarawak, 1982
In an ongoing series, frieze invites artists to present a series of images that are important to them
Jonathan Pike, Marudi, Sarawak, 1982
My uncle Jonathan, or Jon for short, painted this in 1982. It’s been in the sitting room at my Mum’s house for years, hanging on the wall next to the TV, which is probably why I’ve studied it so much. I asked him about it recently: the woman was actually looking in a purse while shopping for vegetables at a market.
Jon’s a well-known watercolour painter now; he makes regular trips to Venice to paint the buildings:
‘In a boat most of the day but not a gondola they bob up and down so that the paint goes everywhere so when you’re doing a loose bit or a wash your hand wobbles.’
A few years ago, Jon and I fabricated a story about discovering an audio recording of JMW Turner talking about his paintings in Venice. Jon did Turner’s voice, popping bubble-wrap in the background to make a crackling sound, and I did the post-production, pitching his voice up and adding some filters.
The recording was said to have been ‘unearthed in a house in Verona in 1986 (virtually inaudible, damaged due to flooding), and digitally enhanced by Giovanni Pico, who used to work for La Web-radio dell’Università di Verona. The voice is thought, by some experts, to belong to Turner because of the reference to Ruskin, who is known to have acquired some of his watercolours.’
I was expecting big things. I emailed it to info@tate.org.uk, but didn’t hear anything back so tried the National Gallery. Nothing. Unbelievable. In the end I just put it on YouTube. There’s only one comment:
‘This recording is very obviously fake. Note how someone is rustling plastic to simulate (badly) the crackle heard on an old wax cylinder.’
The fourth part of Jimmy Merris’s ‘Portfolio’ will be available tomorrow.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
