Morbid, moi? - La Merienda en Cuenca

When I mentioned to my family and friends that I had begun painting a pork roast which had been carved down to the back-bone I was accused of being morbid. Looking at the entries that I've posted so far on this blog I have to admit that the case for the prosecution seems pretty strong; my portfolio until now has been largely made up of severed cow-heads and dead wasps (all of which are still available to buy, by the way - ahem).

I have to admit that I do have a sensibility that is drawn to macabre subject matter that others may find unpalatable, but I don't think that there is anything unhealthy in this. I lean towards the Mexican philosophy of death which takes it as an integral part of life; something which can be celebrated, even laughed at. Shying away from the subject does no good whatsoever.

There is no pessimism or horror in my paintings of Ecuador. What I have aimed to do is to simply record scenes from daily life as faithfully and as beautifully as I can. If that challenges people then so much the better. The intention is to show life as it is, not as it is presented in guidebooks.

La Merienda en Cuenca (Supper in Cuenca) shows the remains of a pork roast resting on its metal support outside a restaurant. Below it, a battered metal bowl, a salt shaker, and plate lie on a table which is otherwise covered with scraps of meat and gristle. Behind, in the darkness, a Coca-Cola sign and a woman wearing an apron can just be made out. It measures 54 x 36 inches and is painted on 120z Cotton Duck canvas.

Asking price: £1,500.