Gail Bankier

In this body of work, I explore the many outlandish, yet intriguing, styles and imagery of the 1960s. From space-age fashion to obscure film-stills, my work aims to spark curiosity in the viewer, through a series of bold and vibrantly composed paintings and drawings. The majority of my works consist of graphite and oil paint, both of which I find very malleable.

The majority of my work consists of portraits, all of which appear somewhat bizarre, may that be because of the subject’s attire, or simply how I may have arranged the composition, for example, by placing the subject in a strange environment. In other pieces, I have effectively created an outlandish composition by distorting faces or environments through minimalism. For instance, in one of my paintings, I simplified the face to the extent where there are no visible features, creating a subject that appears alien, ultimately disturbing yet enthralling the viewer through it’s distinct peculiarity. This combination of peculiarity, bizarreness and disturb I hope creates curiosity in the subject of my paintings.

My work is greatly inspired by the fashion and style of the sixties. I searched for obscure and inventive imagery from the sixties, most pieces being deeply inspired by space age fashion of which I adapted to my art style. By drawing reference from the obscurer imagery and innovations of the sixties, I hope to replicate and capture that curious yet adventurous attitude the sixties flourished on in my compositions.