Tony Fomison
Portrait of Cassius Clay
Artwork Detail
Ambiguous photographs intrigued Tony Fomison, especially the ones he discovered in newspapers and magazines. This ‘portrait’ is based on one such newsphoto. It is likely that the original photograph showed Cassius Clay asleep. By enlarging a close-up of the boxer he begins to look unconscious or, even, recently deceased.
‘You cannot separate life from death – that is what’s wrong with a lot of painting…The ecstasy of life comes from the knowledge of death…Death is going to get you. The idea is to love life and not be scared of death.’
Tony Fomison
(Self and Other, 2003)
- Title
- Portrait of Cassius Clay
- Artist/creator
- Production date
- 1972
- Medium
- enamel on hessian
- Dimensions
- 766 x 790 x 60 mm
- Credit line
- Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1993
- Accession no
- 1993/22
- Copyright
- Copying restrictions apply
- Department
- New Zealand Art
- Display status
- Not on display
To find out which artworks are available for print requests and reproduction please enquire here. This service only applies to select artworks in the Gallery's collection.