Bliss Coulthard Illustration: Marlene Dumas

Marlene Dumas is one of the most renowned artists of the 20th century, and also my favourite artist. Dumas works in a range of different mediums- including painting, collages, drawing, prints and installations. However, she now predominantly works with oil and canvas and ink on paper. Although her works may be categorised as 'portraits', but they are not portraits in the traditional sense. There is more to these paintings that meets the eye- what underlies these paintings is an emotion or a state of mind that Dumas portrays through these images. However, each different, and each with it's own personality.

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Dumas moved to the Netherlands in 1976, where she gained prominence as an artist, and is now one of the most world renowned painters of today. Dumas intensifies the explored themes of love, sexuality, shame and death however; she also refers her painting through related events, making references to art history, pop culture and current affairs.

What is so compelling about Dumas’ work is her approach to the human figure, especially those of young children and babies; retaining an extremely malnourished, and unattractive appearance- she never idealises her images.

Her 1994 painting, ‘The Painter’ is a good case in point. Here is an image of her toddler daughter, her hands and stomach wet with paint, her expression fierce, determined and strangely adult.

She has spoken in interview (The Guardian 2/2/15) of how this image mixes hot with cold – and it is this juxtaposition which effects us. The child is innocent and aggressive, hot and cold, sweet and threatening. She is half child, half monster.

Dumas has said she likes to work from photographs because ‘she is distanced from her subjects and can paint with an “amoral” brush’. Indeed her paintings – especially of famous celebrities – make you think of what photography can never achieve. Photographs of Lady Diana, Osama Bin Laden, Amy Winehouse and Naomi Campbell are amongst the most commonly viewed images of our time. So what does Dumas achieve when she transforms these famous faces into highly charged, personal paintings?

Her Painting of Amy Winehouse soon after the singers death in 2011 is one of the most powerful. She said that she scoured the internet for the right image – and there are hundreds to choose from that depict Winehouse’s rise and decline. The image she choses captures Amy’s melancholy and sadness – it’s a private moment when she isn’t singing or smiling for the camera. What is significant is that Dumas edits out Amy’s trademark beehive hair do – as no photographer ever did – and zooms us in so that we are up close and intimate with her. The ghostly blue paint on her face, emphasises the viewers unsettlement, and unhappiness; creating the perception that we’re intruding on this private moment, making it a rather painful, and unsettling image.

Dumas has been one of my biggest influences for a long time however, it wasn't only until around A Levels that I actually started to corporate her style into my own work; but she was also the reason why I became so obsessed with using watercolour and ink on paper. One day I hope that I can create portraits as powerful, and emotive as Dumas does so.

Here are some of my favourite paintings by Dumas.