Court Painter Introduction:

A self-proclaimed political junkie, artist Allan Harding MacKay creatively digitizes his satirical views about the recurring political and celebrity buffoonery in Canada and elsewhere. The characters featured in his digital illustrations either occupy the electoral & celebrity centre stage or strategically manipulate it from the wings.

Contingent on current political and celebrity circumstances, images of the players are plucked from the Internet and inserted into various staged settings also sourced online. Begun in mid-2013, and emailed for fun to friends, these creations give MacKay a platform to humorously vent his opinion and comment on the daily news he avidly reads online.

MacKay’s skillfully constructed digital illustrations are created from the vantage of the Court Painter as chronicler of local, national and international politicos, players, journalists and hangers-on , in what could be regarded as a revival of the traditional, often competitive relationship between the court artist & court fool and those who consider themselves to be the cultural, political and ruling elites rendered in an attitude reminiscent of the 18th & 19th Century satirists and social critics.

Text accompanying the images often contain researched media journalistic content, original commentary and occasional use of Chat GPT for satirical purposes.

The Court Painter conceit lays bare a contemporary bemused penchant for political peccadilloes while taking pokes at our public conscience.

MacKay’s artist friend Professor Emeritus John Will plays the part of Court Painter. A practicing artist and retired professor at the University of Calgary, Will’s real-life persona is equally theatrical.A Hardon MacKay Press Attache to the Court Painter credits the revival of John Will’s dormant career to taking on the busy life of the Great Dominion’s preeminent portraitist of pompous political personages and ailing celebrities.

A H MacKay represents the Court Painter as A Hardon MacKay Press Attache & Communications Strategist

Gallery Exhibitions of Court Painter selected panels have taken place at the Cube Gallery in Ottawa, The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff and The Trianon Gallery in Lethbridge.