Kathy Wilkes, Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy 

Curator: Before us, we have John Bratby's oil painting "Kathy Wilkes, Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy". It's a striking portrait rendered with, shall we say, a certain…intensity. Editor: Intensity is right. It’s almost brutal, isn't it? The clashing colors and thick impasto—there’s an immediacy and rawness that grabs your attention. It challenges the conventional serenity you might expect from a portrait. Curator: Bratby was known for his expressionistic style. It mirrors, in some ways, the turbulence of the post-war era and perhaps a broader questioning of established norms. There’s a clear departure here from traditional portraiture. The brushstrokes build the image almost fragmentarily, like shards of colored glass coming together. Editor: I am especially struck by his handling of color to convey form. Green and yellow where one expects skin tones; harsh lines in place of delicate features. It's an almost aggressive act of seeing—a visceral reaction, maybe? A symbolic disruption that suggests conflict. Is this possibly related to Kathy Wilkes’s academic focus and its challenges in philosophy? Curator: Potentially. While Bratby provides no explicit commentary within the painting, we understand Wilkes' philosophical focus involved tackling complex and sometimes provocative subjects. The disruptive aesthetic here may symbolize that very engagement with challenging ideas. In some sense, Bratby visually manifests what happens to any icon that undergoes radical questioning. Editor: Interesting how the very materiality of the painting reinforces that theme. The rough texture created by the oil paint becomes an active element in deconstructing idealized images of intellect and poise. It’s a powerful statement about the active, sometimes messy, nature of thinking. It looks more as if it underwent questioning rather than a person doing questioning. Curator: Indeed. The portrait leaves us pondering not only Kathy Wilkes, the person, but also the weight and friction of philosophical pursuit itself. Editor: It certainly does give a feeling of unease. A raw statement to carry away after considering the painting closely.