Coops captured on canvas
Taranaki artist and musician Jordan Barnes is a man of many talents, writes Christina Persico.
After painting various All Blacks and actress Anna Paquin, artist Jordan Barnes says he feels honoured to have been asked to capture the likeness of outgoing Taranaki rugby coach Colin Cooper.
The New Plymouth painter and musician was commissioned by the Taranaki Rugby Football Union (TRFU) to paint a portrait of Cooper with the ITM Cup, which his Bulls side claimed in 2014.
‘‘It was a real honour, a real privilege, to be asked,’’ Barnes said. ‘‘I was there at the game, so, you know, it was a great event for everyone.’’
The Taranaki Rugby Football Union (TRFU) commissioned the painting as a farewell gift for Cooper, chief executive Michael Collins said.
Cooper will leave the Taranaki Bulls at the end of the year to focus on his role as Chiefs coach in 2018.
Collins said over Cooper’s years playing and coaching in Taranaki, he had spent a lot of time away from his family.
‘‘The union wanted to do something special for Colin,’’ he said. ‘‘It was something that his family could have to look upon.
‘‘I thought it was really important to get a local artist to do the work.’’
While Cooper was a humble man who did not enjoy the spotlight, he liked the painting, Collins said.
‘‘He thought the detail of the painting was absolutely fantastic. The family do really love it.’’
Barnes has been painting fulltime for 12 years. He has also painted Hollywood actress Anna Paquin for a World Wildlife Fund Foundation project. ‘‘If I can paint significant people that’s something to be proud of,’’ he said.
He uses oil paint to recreate his subjects, working from photographs.
He said sport and art can often compete against each other in public opinion, but he enjoyed both.
‘‘I did a portrait for Chris Masoe in 2013 or 14. That was him during a game, an All Blacks game. He was in the full All Blacks get-up with Joe Rokocoko next to him. So that was another one of those proud moments.’’
While he was happy to explore different subjects, he still focuses a lot on people portraits and the figure. ‘‘But what I like to do with that is put them in the environment that tells the story.’’
He has just released his second album, Theories – the cover art of which was selected for the finals of the Parkin Drawing Prize – and is also hoping to branch out into film.
He believes that painting will survive, despite the ease of photo printing and technology.
‘‘In every generation, there’s that saying that painting’s dead, but it never will die. In everything there’s something about tradition and original ways of doing things, and there’s always going to be people that appreciate that.’’
‘‘If I can paint significant people that’s something to be proud of.’’