Anecdotal Evidence in the Work of Neil Haddon

Research Background Current international developments in painting have privileged a form of ictorial narrative structure that can be defined as unbound or nonsensical. Whilst these developments do propose new ways of understanding narrative conventions they often do so by ignoring the potential for re-telling of existing narratives. Research Contribution The paintings produced by Neil Haddon in the recent bodies of works Diminished , Broken and Unbound seek to question the relationship of narrative fact to anecdotal evidence by repicturing images derived from print and broadcast media within the melodramatic language of painting. In this work the illustrative potential of the image is proposed as one akin to the unverifiable nature of the anecdote. In so doing the paintings maintain a link to a plausible account of events but present the pictorial information in new and ambiguous terms. Research Significance The significance of this research resides in its reframing of the narrative potential of contemporary painterly image making. It s value is attested to by paintings from these bodies of work being awarded various competitive prizes including the City of Whyalla Art Prize, the Glover Prize and Tidal the City of Devonport Art Prize. It is further supported by work being acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria, The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and the Gold Coast Arts Centre Gallery and has been included in multiple exhibitions within Australia in commercial and public galleries and been reviewed in several national art journals.