“I will remember you.”
A portrait, executed at the Anne Tannenbaum Gallery School in the AGO, by the late Steven Luscombe was painted in his youth. The subject is Jack Moran, who paid for the artist to attend the school and drove him there weekly from Ajax, Ontario. It's painted from a photo of an old driver's license belonging to the subject, with the alteration of the eyes to be closed. In an act of recognition, this work hung in the basement of the AGO, and subsequently led to the receipt of a scholarship to OCAD for Steven Luscombe.
The style, a precocious realism, with vibrant colour, utilises light and shadow to carve out a sense of wisdom and permanence in the subject’s features. It is characterised by a precocious realism, Philosophically, the portrait is a poignant meditation on missed connections and the permanence of art. The subject, Jack Moran, who had little interest in fine art, often bragged that his portrait hung in the AGO. Although the painting was in some sense commissioned by Jack Moran, as it was intended to be “payment” for the favour of the weekly drive, in actuality it was never seen by the subject, adding another layer of depth to the closed eyes. Jack Moran died in 2022, and his character has also been captured by Canadian artist Marc Dubois. In his will, Steven Luscombe left the painting to Dana, daughter of Jack Moran.
The brushwork captures a specific moment of 1970’s Canadian life, simultaneously creating an unadorned observation of character. It is an excellent study of mood and colour speaking to Steven Luscombe’s developing macabre style.
Biography
Steven Luscombe was a Canadian painter whose artistic journey began at home in Ajax where he was obsessed with pencil drawing. In the classrooms of the Art Gallery of Ontario, he expanded his medium to acrylic paint. Displaying an exceptional aptitude for portraiture from a young age, his work was defined by a sensitive approach to the human condition and a profound technical mastery of traditional mediums.
The current direction of his legacy is rooted in this pivotal early period. The submitted portrait represents the pinnacle of his adolescent work; it was the specific piece that secured his scholarship to the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD), marking his transition from a gifted student to artist. The painting changed the course of the artist's life. Though the artist and the subject’s family were separated by time, the painting as part of the artist's legacy, as well as the subject’s, shows a timeless act of gratitude.
The painting embodies the importance of IRL meeting and the sadness of missed connections. The painting is a living example of the death of the author and the death of the original in a world overtaken by AI and digital abuse.
The actual painting hangs in my living room as a constant reminder of valuable lost people. But with time everything changes, with healthy food and behaviours we can all heal. Everything changes, all the time, culture moves faster than you can digest your food, and did you know? The livingroom used to be called the death room?
