ACCIDENTAL ARTIST: CRAIG OLSEN

The pandemic was gaining momentum in 2020 and I found myself stuck at home grappling with boredom. Determined to make the most of lockdown, I decided to educate myself on twentieth century artists and the paintings by the Old Masters. Specifically, their self -portraiture, and how they see themselves.

The magic of capturing expressions with light and shadow drew me in. I researched and studied the black and white still photos of Old Hollywood stars by Hurrell, and became fascinated by the way he manipulated light, and shadow onto the face and dramatically change the features. What if I could transform myself into the people I admired? What if I “Became” the artist? I began by leaning on my theatre training from Cornish College of the Arts, where I learned mask work and how to embody characters with authenticity.

So, I started my art journey by recreating famous self-portraits of famous artists, in their style, on my face and sharing the RAW, untouched photos online.

A photographer friend in Moscow introduced me to a Russian Facebook group, "The Art of Isolation," which challenged participants to recreate famous paintings with everyday household items.

Inspired by the group's talent I posted several of my portraits, only to get a message from a moderator informing me they would not accept them, as they believed the images to be an original photo of the artist or their art. 

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