Portrait commissions

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David Puttnam (The Open University) 2012




Kofi Annan (United Nations) 2009/10




Jon Snow (Channel 4) 2009




Greg Dyke (BBC) 2006




Mo Mowlam (National Portrait Gallery) 2001

The subject matter for my work over the years has dealt with issues of conflict and political violence, and has frequently addressed specific issues, one of which has been the conflict in Northern Ireland. Approached by the National Portrait Gallery to do a portrait commission I thought it would be significant to undertake a task commemorating conflict resolution, as it was around this time that the ground breaking Belfast agreement was in progress.The trustees of the museum commissioned me to do a group portrait of four key individuals involved in the agreement, namely David Trimble of the Ulster Unionists, John Hume of the SDP, Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein, and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam.
The possibility of assembling the four individuals together at any one time being improbable, I made approaches to each of them individually, my intention being to meet and interview them in order to familiarise myself with them. Not without some difficulty I was able to meet and photograph, Mo Mowlam, Gerry Adams and John Hume. However upon approaching David Trimble’s office it became apparent that he had decided that the political expediencies of the moment would not allow him to participate in this project, despite the best efforts of the NPG and myself to persuade
him otherwise. The project of course was dependent upon the participation of all four individuals, and therefore had to be abandoned - an unfortunate fact that perhaps reflected the uncertainty of the whole peace process in Northern Ireland. The trustees of the NPG, however decided to proceed with a solo portrait of Mo Mowlam.




Sir Bill Morris (National Portrait Gallery) 2005

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Portrait uncommissions

Ismael 2003 oil/Inkjet/viscose/linen 126x84.5cm




Time Left/Right Time(Dad's Hat),1996 Oil on board with electric clock 77x52cm




The Last Lunch 87, 1988 oil/canvas




Dennis Potter Called his Cancer Rupert 1999 oil/canvas