Angola in the frame

War artist John Keane has covered war from the Falklands to the Gulf War. However, his latest work concentrates on peacetime Angola. In The Independent he talks about how he works using digital photography in the field before hammering out the canvases in his studio in London,

Back in his London studio, Keane spent a year paring down hundreds of digital photos, before constructing his paintings with a mixture of collage, fabric printing and oil paint. The resulting images are almost photographic in their detail, but they have been subtly manipulated to include social commentary about corruption, exploitation and the lasting repercussions of war; there’s no denying the political punch they pack. “I don’t want to be preachy or bash people over the head with it,” Keane says. “But I hope there’s a redemptive quality that seeps through without people realising it.” link

You can see an exhibition of John’s latest work, simply called Angola at Flowers Central, Cork Street in London from today until 29 March. A TV documentary following John’s journey to Angola, called Angola in the Frame, airs on the Community Channel tonight (5 March) at 9pm. See the promo below,
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