Trying to understand WHY over the three years at uni I have been drawn to painting portraits. Its been my biggest hurdle trying to understand my own compulsion to keep painting faces. Does there have to be WHY? WHY NOT? There is a sense of unease with portraiture in contemporary art. I even read a piece online recently written in the Guardian a few years ago by art critic Micheal Archer who said that portraiture makes him ‘snort with derision’. Harsh words!! He went on to say that a portrait has never been more pointless as more photographic images of individuals are accessible. I believe he is missing the whole point. What distinguishes painting from photography as a record of recognition is the artist’s personal choice of notation of their observation-and the arrangement of the mark making with which they record it. Contemporary portraiture is quirkier and more idiosyncratic than portraits of the past. I suppose in a sense I am aware that portraiture isnt seen as relevant in contemporary painting or compared with other mediums such as sculpture and instillations. This has influenced me in a negative way, affecting my confidence in my work.
I have been looking artists such as James Wyeth, Jenny Saville, Francoise Neilly and Luca Palizzi.
