The Identi-Kit Man (1962)
Derek Boshier (b.1937)
The Identi-Kit Man, 1962
oil paint on canvas
183 cm × 183.2 cm
Tate Britain
If you’re working your way through the Tate Britain permanent collection it’s impossible to miss The Identi-Kit Man (1962) by Derek Boshier, prominently hanging by one of the entryways of Room 19. The surreal scene of red striped toothpaste arms being vigorously scrubbed by giant green brushes visually shouts louder than anything else in a room full of colour (and an incredibly famous Hockney). It’s a silly work, but it’s also a bit twisted.
Boshier’s metaphor of being lathered with toothpaste and scrubbed by an oversized toothbrush is demented and surreal. In fact, you’re not really sure what’s real, because the composition is confused by the inclusion of ghosted figures that look like they may have been earlier attempts at a layout the artist discarded and only haphazardly washed away. Was the figure originally to be in another position? And what about the decapitated head? Cleanly severed and floating apart from the body, it’s unclear if it’s about to be attached or has just been carelessly knocked off. The one-legged man is also missing an arm. It is a curious work.
There is little closure to be had in looking at this because it leaves me with more questions than answers, like the first half of a police investigation show. Which brings us to the title: “Identi-kit” refers to police tools. “Invented in the USA, these sets of pre-drawn facial features helped investigators create images of suspects.” That bit of wall text certainly explains the randomly placed puzzle pieces that float around and bound the man. Alas, the meaning of additional clues in the work have remained uncovered.
The painting was made at the start of Boshier’s career, painted during his time studying at London’s Royal College of Art. Maybe that explains some of the visual bits ghosting away in the background. They don’t quite seem to be fully thought through, but maybe Boshier didn’t care. There’s no denying the powerful visual impact of a man being scoured by the brushes, and that’s one of the reasons why I like it. It’s a brash and bold image, both clever and unsubtle in the way that eager young students tend to be when they want to shout about their politics or new knowledge they’ve just learned. A casual glance at Boshier’s mid-late career works show his concepts would mature into canvasses that appear considerably more complete.
In art history terms, Boshier’s painting isn’t all that old. It is, however, one of the oldest works I’ve featured in this series as well as a new discovery for me. I was recently facilitating a series of art discussion sessions and was wandering through the Tate in preparation, looking for works that were bright and colourful and likely to prompt engagement. You can easily see why Boshier’s painting made the shortlist. Out of all the works I selected it’s the only one that I’ve returned to.
Some of the works that I write about in this series are ones I’ve liked for ages. Others, like Identi-Kit Man, are a fresh discovery that I want to keep warm in my mind for as long as possible. But like a good song, I suspect it will remain stuck in my head and just keep getting better with time.
That’s why I like it.
It’s never too late to discover a classic track.
Previously, on Why I Like It:
Jan — Miami Mountain (2016), Ugo Rondinone
Dec — The London Mastaba (2016-2018), Christo
Nov — The Rose (1958-66), Jay DeFeo