Andrew Gow, Fish Fight, 2024

Andrew Gow's 2024 painting, "Fish Fight", takes its initial inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch's Temptation of St. Anthony (1502), particularly the depiction of animals dressed in armour, heading off to battle. Drawing on childhood memories of dramatic religious altarpieces, Gow reimagines these themes by transforming Bosch's armoured fish. In Fish Fight, the fish now sports a shield, a lance, and a trout tail, taking on new meaning as it navigates modern concerns.

At its core, Fish Fight explores the futility of conflict. The painting uses the metaphor of a fish suspended by a hot air balloon, precariously hanging in the air-a symbol of humanity's disconnection from its natural state and the uncertainty of life. The hot air balloon itself, representing both innovation and fragility, evokes mankind's triumph over limitations while simultaneously highlighting our vulnerability to external forces. Much like the balloon, human actions, especially in conflict, are often at the mercy of chance and fate.

Coming from a military family, Gow reflects on the outdated concepts of chivalry, honour, and prestige tied to conflict. He draws parallels between medieval jousting, which once symbolised knightly virtue, and modern warfare, where glory and nationalism often mask violence's underlying futility and randomness. In Fish Fight, the idea of two opponents jousting from hot air balloons-unable to control their movement, carried by the wind-mirrors the unpredictability and senselessness of human conflict.

Set against a rich Italian landscape shaped by historical battles, the painting incorporates symbolic elements like cypress trees, often linked with death. These trees, resembling spears, are a subtle nod to the lances of the fish, further emphasising the theme of conflict and its inherent futility.

Cookie preferences

Join our mailing list

Andrew Gow British, b. 1978

Visualisation