The Stranger is inspired by the book of the same name by Albert Camus. But that’s not the whole story. 

In 1979 The Cure released their first single, inspired by Camus’ book, condensing the theme of the novel in the song’s lyrics. The video for the song, as well as the cover for a later compilation album, featured a retired English fisherman, John Button,  whose likeness came to represent a segment of 1980’s punk & new wave counter culture. This music, culture, and imagery left a huge impression on me and many others of my generation. 

The style of the painting is consistent with other recent portraits, though significantly more time was spent in the contours and details of the subject’s aged and weathered face. The muted stripes of the background allude to motifs from 80s pop culture, adding two lightly colored stripes. The blue band anchors the subject to the ground while the pink ascends untethered, representing both the need for a grounded foundation and an aspiration to rise to something greater.