DIZ HARFORD - ARTIST

DE PROFUNDIS

De Profundis is the title of an autobiographical letter written in Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde to his lover, Alfred Lord Douglas. The title is Latin for 'out of the depths'.
Paintings began with the themes of imprisonment and humiliation which in turn led to interest in his search for love, his worship of youth and beauty and his increasing isolation.

The paintings are concerned with Oscar the man and not Wilde the social success.
There is a triptych on the themes of Dorian Gray -exploring Oscar's yearning for youth and fear of age. Salome, the temptress, appears in several of the works. The mask and the lily are recurring motifs.

The artist recognizes themes in Oscar's life, such as the search for love and humility in adversity, which are universal.
Oscar Wilde speaks of the artist as the critic of his time and Diz Harford sees parallels between life at the 'fin de siecle1 and our own experience of social, political and environmental change.

Oscar Wilde's plays have enduring appeal. His wit is enjoyed by generation after generation. It is felt that the time is right for another side of Wilde - the suffering and the resulting wisdom - to be given an airing.