One of the most striking and interesting collaborations of Upfest 2017 was by Guy Denning and Yatika Fields and it was a real pleasure to be able to welcome Guy Denning back this year, this time painting solo.
The wall developed slowly over the duration of the festival, and it was really interesting to see the layers go up to crate the final piece. I’m not too sure who the lady portrayed is, but I imagine she is an important figure in the world of campaigns and politics.
Guy Denning’s style is crafted from a combination of freestyle portraiture and stencil overlay, which gives it a unique finish. He includes a quote, probably from the subject of the piece, and in this case it says:
’Rise like lions after slumberin unvanquishable number, shake your chains to earth like dew which in sleep have fallen on you, ye are many, they are few.’
A stirring quote indeed. Having done a quick search on the Interweb, I now understand that the quote is from a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley called The Masque of Anarchy, which was written about the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. All great stuff. Now trot along and dig out the poem and read it for yourself, just like I did.
A fine piece indeed.
Natural adventures 