The Degree show. Curating…
I have framed everything for the show plus most other paintings which, won’t be hung, just in case I change my mind when I am in the space. The decision to frame them black was to further develop themes of trapped flesh. Black makes my colour pop and works with the themes and style of my paintings.
I went for using a satin finish because I thought gloss would detracts and matt would blend with some areas of consistencies in the paint.
I have been able to work out measurements using my walls at home and measurements of my space. I have made a visual mock up on the computer. I have made several versions.
I found it was an excellent tool to prepare me as best I can. Hanging can be stressful so I want to minimise that stress – naturally.
There have been two exhibitions I have seen which, will stay with me for a very long time. The first I have already mentioned in terms of context for this project – Bacon and Moore at The Modern Oxford.
The second, David Hockney – The Bigger Picture at The Royal Academy.
I have been thinking about these and what made these exhibitions affect me the way they did – apart from the paintings.
Intensity from both. Bacon – the relationship between the paintings – bouncing off each other. You entered the space with the paintings. They were hung on a personal height which intensified my relationship between the paint – especially ‘Portrait of Henrietta Moires’.
Hockney’s was exciting and my eyes hopped around in my head like excited children – It was not traditional in the way it was hung in the sense he had pictures underneath each other and a room of sketchbooks you could look at – I LIKED THIS !
Because of the layout of my space I will be able to arrange the paintings so they can talk to each other and make it a conversation between painting and painting viewer and painting and a documentation of my (the artists) conversation with the painting. These are key supporting factors to the ethos of active paint – paint as it’s own entity.
Decisions – the mouths will scream at each other diagonally – mouth to mouth – paint to paint . one leads you into the other paintings the other sends you back around.
Yes, it is a journey but these works relate and have communicated to each other in their development – areas of one re-emerging or developing from another.
Full size body to break up the heads.
Legs to support the body – this is about flesh not portraiture.
I tried minimal set up but I didn’t feel it represented my body of work. I didn’t find it as exciting. It didn’t communicate what I wanted it to. I want this to show what my project is all about but for me it is also a celebration of all of my hard work coming together – weeks with no sunlight has taken it’s toll on my complexion.
I like the strength of this layout. They aren’t JUST pictures. I’m not hanging pretty pictures on the wall. I aim for these paintings to dominate and own this space and to suck you in! That has always been my ambition for them
I have a hanging system where instead of string and d-rings there will be screws on the wall and slits cut into my frames – they can just be hooked on allow a bit of leeway to move either way. No having to get strings straight.
As it stands, my plan is to hand from the top. I will run string from one side of the wall to the other, use a spirit level to make sure its straight and use it as a guide to hang the paintings. This is a quick and easy method and one that I picked up from my collaboration last year – Thank you Chris Newson!
I will be hanging it tomorrow…
I have a van booked to take my work at 11! I feel prepared but I’m well aware from experience that everything and anything can still go wrong, but I am confident in my paintings so at least that’s some comfort!
