JOHN ATHERTON

ATTRIBUTES

The Construction of Identity in the Absence of the Figure

ATTRIBUTES: is an ongoing body of work by John Atherton that investigates how identity can be constructed through the visual language of portraiture in the absence of the sitter. Drawing upon painting, printmaking and object-making, the work explores the role of objects, landscapes, interiors, mirrors, animals and symbolic forms as attributes that extend the portrait beyond physical likeness.

Rather than depicting individuals directly, ATTRIBUTES: examines the traces they leave behind. Organised into a series of interconnected bodies of work, including Heirlooms, Nostalgia of Distance, Mirrors, Interiors and Companions, each explores one of the visual devices traditionally used within portraiture to suggest identity. Together, these works investigate how memory, perception and imagination continue to construct an absent presence long after the figure has disappeared.