I was pleased with the painting yesterday ‘Review’ but my head is already racing with the comments from Cally Spooner and how I can progress my line of inquiry and develop my work.
I have found by going through some weekly downmarket magazines where people sell their stories for cash, some quite powerful headlines that I can use in my work. If I remove them from their original editorial content and reinvent them within my work, then I may have something powerful here. I have a large number of these statements up on my studio wall so I can reflect upon them and decide which I feel are the more powerful.
I need to test how to translate these headlines into paintings. I have been using stencils and spray paint but the one I felt was the most successful so far was when I turned the stencil over and pressed the residue down onto the canvas, it picked up a number of layers of spray paint and I feel this is a far more interesting resultant image than just purely spraying on the paint. So although the letters are reversed, I need to recreate this by further testing.
I do feel the union jack is very successful to use as a ground but again I need to test what works comparing some samples using the union jack and typography and just a simple acrylic white/blue/red mix. By testing I will know what has the more power.
Also, I need to consider, I was thinking that next step was to use one of the glamourised vogue ladies, whos face stares out at the viewer and one of these headlines but then I question of the works alone would stand successfully without the need for additional portraiture? Like a Richard Prince joke painting? I need to test this.
If I use these headlines with a female face then the viewer will empathise with the face and connect the 2. It could be interesting.
So I feel I am in quite a strong position at the moment. I have my source material in terms of vogue ladies from advertising and I have a wealth of headlines to choose from.
Time to think and stand back a little and then test and I will find the answers.
