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From: Charles Thomson Category: Art Date: 06 January 2007 Time: 01:40 AM Review: I have to admit that my seven paintings on display were not an accurate representation of my whole oeuvre, as they contained my one and only painting of Sir Nicholas Serota and my only two paintings based on my ex Mrs, Stella Vine's ex life as a stripper. However, I certainly don't see the latter as any form of vendetta. It was the Independent on Sunday who decided that was what they were, although what I said was: " I did these paintings after we broke up - the sort of consolidation period. For me it was a way of working through the emotional aftereffects. Basically she had told me a lot of stories about her time in the sex industry and really they were quite gutting. It wasn't very nice hearing them and it left a bit of an emotional scar on me. It was a way of getting them out of my system. I found it quite gruelling to do them." http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20060903/ai_n16710587 The paper subsequently printed a letter from me on the subject: "Although many people may see my two extremely nude paintings (you discreetly missed off the lower part), based on my ex wife, ex stripper and ex Stuckist, Stella Vine, as humiliating for her and an act of revenge, I would like to make it clear that I intend them as neither. She was always proud to be a stripper and there is no reason why she should not be. She previously liked my paintings, and I would prefer her to enjoy these, in the same way that I still enjoy her art." In fact one of the paintings was based on the same pose which she had used in a painting herself, when she was working with me in my studio (aka my living room), so I saw it as a complement to her work. The use of the word "vendetta" in relation to Sir Nicholas makes it seem that I have some personal grudge against him. In fact I have gone on record as saying that in many ways I admire him. A colleague, John Bourne, has even corresponded with him to make the point that our actions such as demonstrations are not personal and should not be taken that way - a position which he accepted in his response. I disagree with his policies and judgement in certain crucial ways, and I want to express that. So you've taken exception to three of my paintings, but you haven't mentioned the other four at all. You can see more on http://www.stuckism.com/thomson The whole of the Go West show is on http://www.spectrumlondon.co.uk/new/stuckists.htm