121 Tutorial

Spent some time sourcing shorts for the film session of Art Talks. Liased with Kite online re what we wanted to include and Kite used her You Tube account to pop the videos together without adverts. We've gone for a range of practices to demonstrate that there's something for everyone and that practices that use different mediums can still resonate. Art TALKS! You Tube Video

Tate Shots is pretty brilliant so I'll be working my way through there now!

as are: Louisiana Channel and Bloomsbury Video Library / Doug Aitkens Source

Had my 121 with Ian Brown and discussed the paintings I'm working on now.

I have 2 works up in the studio (I keep things around me that remind me of things I'm working to achieve more) Ian pointed out that when placed together there's a really interesting relationship and he automatically fills the space of the painting on the left with information from the painting on the right - he also pointed out the loose qualities of the painting on the right - something that I'm really considering at the moment.

Oil on roughly applied gesso/stretched canvas.

      

 Oil on linen paper.

Ian pointed out that he reads the texture in the gesso as a deliberate attempt by the artist to make brush strokes, as if to say - look I'm painting. But he felt they were unnecessary and there are other things in the work that read as painterly, like the decisions in other areas in how paint is applied. I explained that I enjoyed working with the textures - I never know how the strokes will come through in the painting - there are other areas where its left subtle textures that I really enjoy. I explained that I actually miss the textures when I paint on linen paper - Ian does not.  This made me consider the linen paper as a more tangible medium. I've always considered it a cheaper more accessible substrate for quick paintings but having sold the "jocks baccy tin" also on linen paper - it's made me think that it has more credit than I'd given it, it does hold a painting and people don't miss that its not on a stretched canvas.

Decision.I see what he means and have emphasised them by rubbing and wiping between layers - (just because I enjoy them) but actually, the area in which I feel it is successful does not read in the same way as the large deliberate brushstroke so in future I'll change how I apply the gesso - I prefer this section that the one above left. 

 

 The way that I'm painting now leads to a different reading - because the brush strokes blur and details are unclear, what was masks on children, could now be read as monsters in the room. - something that was pointed out to me on an insta post "are you painting monsters Lorna?"

I like this and want to explore further how the way that I paint changes the reading. It led to a conversation about the 80's, stranger things, culture - society knowing now about abuse that happened in the 80's and new generations being aware of potential risks or historic abuse much earlier - it was a different kind of childhood.  Ian suggested that you could change a paparazzi photo by painting it - and gave the expample of a woman spotted leaving a club after drinks being demonised in the press. I suggested pro life demonstrations could be interesting to work with -(people harassing women as they enter abortion clinics) this leans into my subject matter. 

It's been mentioned a few times that the witch archetype could detract from the discourse but the witch really pins everything together for me. However, leaning into the translation of paintings, I could move away from pointy hats ... decision - I'll do a pro life painting and some responses to historic paintings of women and see where it leads.

 

Discussed the use of black in the centre of the painting (right) / against the muted tones in the background (left) - I like how this is working to both focus and centre the work.