My interpretation of the incredibly iconic The Godfather that focuses on the fictional character Don Vito Corleone. I have continued to build on the style where I create the character out of smoke but with this one I have looked at achieving maximum impact and clarity of the detail by overlaying onto a solid background with no film references included, so a different treatment to my 2016 BALBOA but still using the the same elements to ensure consistency.
There are only very subtle abstract markings on the background to add drama and small pockets of explosive movement, for example if you look around the rose and jacket the red markings could either symbolise passion which the Don unquestionably has by the bucket load or could symbolise the immediate impact of a gunshot wound within a life where families are never unscathed by grief and tragedy. The smoke not only creates a really interesting and different aesthetic quality to the piece but it relates to the cigar smoking Mafia boss so well and you could imagine those smoke-filled rooms where he delivered so many of his iconic lines.
This piece was particularly challenging as portraiture was an area that I always avoided but I feel that I have done the legend justice and this treatment offers something different again whilst continuing to build on my style of work that creates the opportunity to in time build a series of side on iconic portraits.