Head’s studio window looks out onto the forecourt in front of the family home. He can see any comings and goings and often sees the postman on his daily deliveries. From March 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, the postman might have been the only person Head saw beyond his immediate family and the delivery of supplies became an essential lifeline. One such delivery of art materials was boxed in card with numbers cut into the side. Head kept the box, using it to stencil numbers on the canvas at the outset of this work.
Head remembers playing “postman’s knock” as a child, and the thrill and silliness of exchanging harmless kisses with girls. But this painting is not so innocent. The disturbing beaked figure, used elsewhere in Head’s work, is centred on the top edge. As the daily news registered a rising death toll from the spread of the virus, what was previously deemed as innocuous now seemed to carry a very real threat and Head was clearly worried for the safety of all those around him.