The Candidate - 2010
The Candidate is the second image in our series entitled ‘The Procession’.Inspired by the painting ‘Drunken Silenus supported by Satyrs’ – attributed to Anthony van Dyke – now hanging in the National Gallery, London.
Drunken Silenus supported by Satyrs
The original premise of the drunken teacher assisted and encouraged by his faithful followers mixed with Holbein’s ‘Chairing the Candidate’ (which seemed appropriate considering the election), provided an ideal opportunity to comment on the changing society.
In our image Silenus becomes the drunken victim of a pub crawl, winding his way home from celebrating his recent candidacy while unaware that he is being manipulated by his retinue – each one has their own agenda.
The ruined city in the background testifies to the changing values of the new social order and their lack of need for the old structures.
