Observing Francis Bacon 'Figure in Movement"

Observing Francis Bacon


I chose the Francis Bacon painting ‘Figure in Movement’. In this image a form is slumped down in the center, made up of curved and sweeping lines it holds a sense of volume, life and movement to the body.
The form for me is reaching out from inside, here the internal emotions are expressed through deformities of the external body. A puzzle of twisted limbs and body parts suggest expressive ideas from inside; that cannot be captured in reality. It portrays frustration and self exploration, a voice inside that cannot be communicated with words or gestures.

It is a very personal piece, and gives an interesting starting point for us to understand our own self expression, and the diverse ways people communicate.
Furthermore it explores the idea that the human body is just a shell and a tool, sometimes a prison. There is a limit as to what we can achieve with the body we are given, and sometimes the vastness of our minds thought can seem to be held back by physicality; which could lead to frustration and self destruction.

In the painting, black layered circles are used almost as an emotional x-ray viewing obscure imagery, giving us more insight into the ambiguous thought of this individual. Over the back of the figure in one circle seems to be a large tongue and the other circle over the face appears to be a brain which is complex as it is messy compared to the starkness and fluidity of the figure.

Further indications that this is indeed a representation of the minds thought is the simple white frame that the body is presented in. The high contrast of the black background and white line is comparable to that of a chalk diagram on a teachers black board adding a certain child-like influence; a childish nature that the body seems to exist within.



In my own interpretation of Bacon’s work I worked with a mix of white acrylic paint and a sludgy brown water colour; that covered an old brush I had left in a water cup for days. This helped me to be more natural in my approach and not to over think the process. I painted shapes onto the paper, building up the layers into organic forms and defining them with charcoal to be more relatable as human.
I tried to combine my own aesthetics into the piece by use of old scraps of paper to collage around the form.
I then photographed the painting and continued to work with layers on Photoshop, adding more texture and variations of atmosphere.

The outcome of this task has directed me to be more aware of my own personal expression, and the type of illustration I wish to pursue in the future, and not that of which I think is expected of me by others.
Francis Bacons work is inspiring as it portrays honesty, whether good or bad.

Painters house

Paris on the first day of summer 1943
A wide eyed young man on knees,
Arms draped over his brass balcony
From below, ribbons of light
Reflect the emotional currents of his sight

Old men gambling with a dusty deck
Shake their winning tins
In glory of the dancing girl
Her hair pinned back tight
Revealing porcelain skin

Every morning as sun would rise
Thus the dance begins
Watching her movement like a shimmering pearl
He paints on crumpled paper
The freedom of the spinning girl

The girl was of the dreaming sort
That gazed up to the sky
But Paris had
Much chimney smoke
That meant the stars were blind

Now the spinning girl lay bare and honest
His pallet of rouge in one hand
He painted with passion, the marks of life
That stained the paper
He had made by hand

Through the painters strokes
She found her escape
But only for a while
Her light was fading into darkness
No use to say goodbye

He was alone tossed on the floor,
His twisted figure lay in despair
For she was gone
Leaving stains of rouge
And charcoal strands of hair

Since that day, ahead of time in 1983
The small eyed man on aching knees
Clung to his brass balcony
From below, ribbons of light called him with a roar
The old man fell into their arms and he was then no more

Four empty rooms along the Seine
Now Linger, undiscovered
A painting hung on every space
The story of the lovers

Looking for passion in second hand fashion

Living in Tokyo, you come to expect everything at arms reach, from fast food, to DVDs, magazines, tickets and toilets ECT. When it comes to clothing and street style, also the same convenience applies. Depending on personal choice everything you need for a new look is usually located in one store.
As for the street style that Tokyo’s youth flaunt in Harajuku, this look for me is associated with second hands clothes markets and charity shops where each item you wore was purchased with care and love, a hidden gem among the rails and baskets of cast offs. You would find something different that not one other person could possibly own.


Walking the markets of Portobello and memories of Greenwich market on a Sunday I always thought the most interesting and stylish shoppers in London were the ones that passed by the stalls of common black velvet jackets or cheaply printed t-shirts. Instead they would be searching the piles and piles of rags and clothes thrown into a discount basket, they had a eye for something that would suit them, or create to fit them, The other advantage being that these cast-offs where the cheapest bargain’s to come across.


In Tokyo this kind of barging hunting is not so easy to do. In Harajuku the stores are filled with customized jeans, retro T-shirts and sunglasses, but for me it seems like the look has been commercialized, lost is the charm of finding something that you desire, instead I feel like most people are just buying into a trend, without the passion.
The stores are generally over priced, jeans becoming 8000 yen (40pounds), while in London or my local town I would only pay 2pounds or 50p (100yen) if I got lucky.
The cost of these items has really shown Tokyo’s street style to be commercialised. What about the young people who can’t afford to spend this amount of money, but have the creative eye for fashion, they have to compromise.
When you walk around London and you spot a person oozing with style and individuality you really notice that’s its not about how much they spent on their wears but how they took care and passion for shopping and customizing the smallest of details.
How can everybody in Tokyo look as stylish when most have bought into the retro/urban craze?
Of course you still can notice the ones that can really look sharp and stunning, while others are all just a bit too similar. But hasn’t the wow factor gone?
The great thing about shopping in Tokyo is that it is difficult not to find something stylish to throw on, at a price, and at the risk of being upstaged with someone wearing the exact same outfit at a party, just with better hair.

I have been searching for a cheaper alternative in Tokyo for some time, looking around local shops in the residential suburbs but with no luck, and sometimes an even bigger price tag.
I remember finding a used clothes shop somewhere between Matsudo and Toride on the Joban line. The clothes seemed a bit cheaper and a more random selection than in the city, and today I searched Ueno market where I found a huge array of stylish men’s clothing and second hand shops. It was quite a treat. Although many of the prices were absurd, looking for the cheaper gems seemed possible. Dangling from a rail on a stall selling used naked Barbie’s with burnt hair, broken cameras and old anime soundtrack records, I bought a lovely elegant silver chain mail clutch/side bag that fits my camera and mp3 player perfectly all for the bargain price of 500 yen.

So where does the balance of style and individuality come into play? How can a young Tokyoite stand out from the crowd when everyone else is trying to do the same?
With Tokyo fashion week now over, and with more and more countries looking at Tokyo as a fashion capital, the competition to stand out and be innovative is getting tougher; many young people are striving to be in the industry as stylists and designers. Will Tokyo’s fashion speed up as a result? Or will we be seeing much of what we have already seen?

Orange wig rides again!

Sorrow in Spring

These last few weeks in Tokyo have been a tragic mix of excitement,torture and mundaness for me. Where I am going I do not know, I feel like I want to embrace Neon Tokyo's heart, and get swept up in 'the' bubble. But it seems that soon 'my' bubble will pop and everything will shift around me. My relationships, my work, my home.

I have become so tired to look at my image recently, i feel i need to evolve. I guess its true when the world around you changes, you react in fashion, art, someway which you can control the changes. Maybe its the Tokyo bug, taking grasp of me.


The people, places, the sights of Tokyo bring me a great sense of 'belonging' but dramatically can bring such loneliness. Its two sides of the same coin.

I guess I'm scared of the change, how I will grow. Someone told me that every decision you make is the right one.
I wish I was brave enough to trust that.

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My very own personal space, which will be whizzing around waiting for your attention. Follow my journey through Asia and Europe as I develop my dairy of photography, paintings, drawings,writing and any other form I choose to express myself in.
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