Her Ghost
At the time of this painting I’d had two long-term relationships, and in the aftermath of either I remained in the house that we’d shared while she went on. There is a period for me, after the initial separation, in which certain areas of the house can hardly be viewed without imagining her there. Until sufficient time has passed, the ex’s “ghost” seems to occupy the spaces that she has vacated. Here the observer, the only figure reflected in the mirror, imagines the presence of a recent lover before her dresser. On the floor is a discarded valentine.Part of my interest in this was in the challenge of rendering a translucent figure. It is by accident that she bears a resemblance to the more recent ex of the two. It had been my intention to avoid any resemblance, but when I gave the figure straight hair it too closely repeated the curve of the mirror and confused the imagery. I therefore gave into the idea of giving her curly hair, and once I had done this the resemblance was there. I liked it that way though, and so I accepted the resemblance that the figure had to my ex. And just as well, since it was, in my mind, actually very much about her, or the absence of her.
I'd learned by studying the Japanese artist Yoshitoshi that in the Orient ghosts are depicted as having no feet. That influenced my decision to let her legs trail off into nothingness.
(Paintings that feature mirrored reflections are "Conversion," "Narcissist," "Her Ghost," "Hugging a Vampire," "Villana," and "Dog Fight.")