Previously, Aitken's subject matter has been primarily concerned with a navigation of an interior, metaphysical territory. However, his latest work has begun to look outwards more, encompassing wider issues and world events. Consequently, these images have begun to reflect an increasingly emotive space where tensions and anxieties found in the outside world have been explored in a metaphorical sense.
In
these works the natural world, anatomy and evolutionary theory have been
influential, and Aitken has become increasingly interested in representing the
physical appearance and structure of the human body. Recent works based on the
human head reflect an interest in representing the physical appearance and
structure of the human body in literal and abstract ways. These works are a
part of an ongoing series of paintings and drawings that have addressed ideas
and conventions of portraiture and how identity can be constructed.
Working
directly from life and photography, these recent drawings and paintings have been
reworked and adjusted over an extended period of time using a combination of
mixed media. This working process has enabled works like these to present their
history and creation, as different marks, colours and details are layered upon
one another, as each piece is reassessed and refined over a period of time.
This approach to making a drawing or painting also means that each piece is not
a precise representation of a particular person (i.e. a 'likeness'), but a
composite portrait, made from the faces and features of several people. These
works could therefore be seen to reflect qualities and features common to all
people rather than a specific individual.