The work: Jordan Barnes, IOU FOR DAD, 3 MONTHS RENT, NEW YORK (THE PRODIGAL SON), 2021. Oil on canvas, 140 x 200cm. Courtesy: the artist.
“The concept of the Prodigal Son narrative is very relatable as an artist,” says New Zealand-based artist Jordan Barnes. “Heading off with promises of making it big in New York, only to return broke and hungover.” However, instead of letting his unfortunately familiar experience of a grand adventure ending in disappointment destroy his dreams of success, he used it to fuel his practice. He states IOU FOR DAD, 3 MONTHS RENT, NEW YORK (THE PRODIGAL SON), a portrait of his father, is not just titled as such, but actually was created as an I owe you (IOU) for his father, worked in his signature hauntingly realistic style.
Taking more than five months to paint, the work is therefore almost penitential, rendered with such painstaking accuracy it takes a second and sometimes third look to reveal the hand of the artist. Barnes intentionally left parts of the canvas exposed, sprinkled with drips of paint, in order to expose the hard work involved with the painting’s creation. This work of penance is emblematic of his greater practice, imbuing portraits depicted hyper-realistically to expose the subject’s inner psychology. Here, we are encouraged to look beyond the mask presented by a person to see the intellectual depth within.