There is an invisible world out there, and we are living in it
– Bill Viola
“None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window“
– J.K. Rowling
The creative process for Conceptual Art is the same with Conceptual Portraits. I learn about a person’s life with its details, interests, where they live, work, and play.
Public figures like J.K. Rowling are not entirely private. If they reveal something about their childhood, partner, a near or far part of their history, everyone knows. There are books and studies about the private becoming public and what it means personally and sociologically.
I could have included where Rowling lived as a child, Exeter University where she studied, the year in Paris which was part of it, her learning of Classics, teaching in Portugal, wonderful address to Harvard University in 2008, work at Amnesty International and the tattoo on her inner wrist. She’s funny too. In March 2020 she tweeted “My favourite colour is pink. I always play as Yoshi on Mario Kart. I’ve just started re-reading Catch-22, which I first read aged 22. I got a tattoo last year but not a Harry Potter tattoo. That would be ridiculous.”
It would, and the idea is funny.
Her tattoo says “solve et coagula” which is the alchemical idea of dissolving and coagulating. Breaking down, then building up again, is a description of creative process. You see the parts of what exists, then assemble something new.
When Bill Viola says “There’s another world out there just beyond the world we’re in. It’s just on the other side of that translucent, semi transparent surface” he’s referring to video The same applies to photography, painting, and Conceptual Art.
Biography is fine, but more interesting for someone like J.K. Rowling is the influences which inform her work. Imagine, solve et coagula permanently on your wrist, and why she did that. I think about her more deeply here.
Visions of Joanna is a fantasy, magical, imaginative piece where you see H.P. Blavatsky and Hannah Arendt (she read them) Alice Miller because she supports children (her charity Lumos) Emmeline Pankhurst (she supports women and funds a refuge called Beira’s Place) Carl Jung for symbolism, Wilhelm Reich for gender based political control, an Iranian ruler in a country were women are treated badly, Billy Bragg with whom she disagrees, Keir Starmer the same and of course, Harry Potter.
J.K. Rowling likes Fleetwood Mac and Marianne Faithfull. But if you look carefully at my Conceptual Portrait (clear in an A3 print) you see lyrics from this great Bob Dylan song.