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Episode 8 of the Art Advocate Podcast
in art, artist, northern ireland, visual art
artist
RDH: 01/12/18 - 31/12/18
01/12/18
Blocked out “Bereft Clown”.
02/12/18
Found an ogham poster on North Street with an interesting translation.
Vault studios is amazing - especially EMIC’s studio space!
04/12/18
…text to coincide with next solo show…
08/12/18
Studio work today. Thought I was close to finishing ‘confessional’ but it might be further away than I imagined.
09/12/18
“You make a mistake when you explain the paintings through the war.”
Mark Stevens - on Bacon’s “Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion”
Several shooting stars.
15/12/18
Probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do. Childhood hero reduced. It's a real jolt to the system.
Trauma doesn’t discriminate. It’s so subjective that it can defy explanation or description. Nightmarish.
16/12/18
Materials courtesy of the University of Atypical’s iDA award arrived to the studio today.
Need to learn to keep some things to yourself.
See it through. Stay strong and keep head up.
17/12/18
Panic attack today.
21/12/18
You never fully appreciate someone until its too late. A true legend that has shaped so many. Time with family is so important.
Resolutions < Revolutions
22/12/18
Moon-rise over Glenshane.
Thought I had a good night’s sleep but my body is telling me different. Need to draw more again.
26/12/18
Getting lost in thought about art is a joy. It’s like taking a mini vacation.
27/12/18
Some sketchbook work. Not much but it’s a start.
Look more before putting pen to paper. This is not to say to lose the immediacy during the act of drawing but to take a breath to absorb and examine what an image has to offer.
29/12/18
Finished “Confessional”. Maybe when the mind is distracted slightly it makes studio work more of an automated response? Decisions were made and action was taken.
Not saying having a completely distracted head-space works. Far from it. I’ve been there plenty of times and it’s disastrous. No. It’s more a case of - you’re in the studio and you have a clear(ish) idea of where the work will go so you follow that. The decision making dilemma is lessened due to the preoccupation of other matters going on upstairs.
30/12/18
A bit of work done to “Bereft Clown before clearing the palette and studio up for another year.
RDH: 01/11/18 - 30/11/18
02/11/18
… all but done…
03/11/18
Do I need a foreign colour? “Afore the Stoop” went in a slightly different direction than first thought. I think I had that quote by Helen Johnson still ringing in my ears about imagery possessing different surface qualities and being on different registers on the same picture plane.
The buzzard is still; hovering overhead while the still-life is in flux. Melting in on itself. To not just merge separate imagery on the one canvas but to treat them differently via technique. I’ve done this regularly in the past but never to this extent before and definitely not on this scale. There’s loads going on: blocked areas, melting, washes and burning/corroding of the surface for texture.
“Confessional” is a different beast altogether. It’s going to be a slower process - building up washes of colour, drawing elements back in followed by more washes until it comes to an end or a crossroads. So far so good. It’s not really a colliding of images. It’s the notion of what a negative of a pattern could do to another image.
Refreshing to see organisations opening doors. The model is being altered.
04/11/18
Kept hearing the shrieking of a buzzard every time I went to work on “Afore the Stoop”. When I looked it was perched on top of the tallest tree at the end of the lane and then glided off.
06/11/18
Some sketchbook work. Not a lot of time but that’s my fault.
09/11/18
HELP!
10/11/18
For studio work: cautious steps or daring leaps? Annoyingly close to finishing “ATS”.
Submission writing hurts my head.
11/11/18
Films to watch:
Finished “ATS”. Still bits that annoy but for the sake of not destroying it entirely, I don’t mind the imperfections.
Help has been indispensable.
12/11/18
Still waiting on magazine.
13/11/18
Egon Shiele Documentary - transcending the idea of the body as beauty.
15/11/18
Nothing.
16/11/18
Belfast bound for curator talks but looking forward to visiting some galleries first.
Jane McCormick’s “Not Half Right” at the University of Atypical was absolutely amazing. Insanely strong drawing and sculptural elements.
Ali Cherri in the MAC International 2018. His work was the stand out work for me.
Curator talks as part of Belfast Open Studios from Visual Artists Ireland offices. Speaking at the event: Nora Hickey from CCI in Paris, Ika Sienkiewicz-Nowacka from CCA Warsaw, Dean Brierley from Caustic Coastel in Manchester and Anna Ciabach - formally of Monopol Gallery in Warsaw.
17/11/18
Work is being used as an example to show other artists about finding your own voice. Chuffed.
…someone has been keeping an eye on my progress and that is something!
Another trip to Belfast for more galleries and then a Speed Curating event.
Gerard Carson’s “Submersible Extractions” in Platform.
Patrick Colhoun at the Golden Thread Gallery.
Still of Barbara Hammer’s work at the Golden Thread Gallery exhibition.
Layout of the ‘Speed Curating’ event by VAI held in Belfast Exposed.
18/11/18
It has been a hectic but brilliant few days. Yesterday I called into Platform to see Gerard Carson’s “Submersible Extractions” and a solo show by Dryden Wilson. I followed this up by a quick look at the Barbara Hammer exhibition and Patrick Colhoun’s project space work in the Golden Thread Gallery. Then it was time for the speed curating event at Belfast Exposed.
… do research. What artists i admire….
…Strange. Nothing negative. Just nothing.
A lot of information. A real painter?
19/11/18
“In Defence of Representation” essay by Tristan Garcia.
In western philosophy the representational object is either a copy, a sign or a duplex.
“… according to the semiotic model, there is no representation without signification, that is to say without interpretation.” - Tristan Garcia
20/11/18
“Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” - Screen (1973)
“The Victim” - Saul Bellow
21/11/18
Tried sketchbook work - failed miserably.
23/11/18
Projection onto fog screen.
24/11/18
Thunderchild?
Line of connection between viewer and work - GO’H
Ask the question: what do you see?
25/11/18
Yesterday I eventually got painting around lunchtime - back and forth with ‘Confessional’ but progress made. Great talk with GO’H about ‘the gaze’.
Leaf blowing.
27/11/18
Need to select paintings for Framewerk Christmas show.
28/11/18
“The Trouble with Painting” - ICA (YouTube)
“What you’re interested in in the world will feed back into what you are interested in as an artist.” - Alison Pilkington
…speaking about dreams, a quote from Alison Pilkington’s drawing seminar from the RHA really stuck out. I’m paraphrasing here but the guts of it is this: talking to people about why you make the work you do (or about your inspirations for that matter) is like talking to people about your dreams. People aren’t overly interested when someone else describes a dream. It’s subjective and personal and it’s all but impossible to get the experience across properly.
Sketchbook work.
29/11/18
A difficult few weeks to come.
RDH: 01/10/18 - 31/10/18
01/10/18
… of interest. Attainable small steps to reach big goals.
02/10/18
Delivery mix up.
05/10/18
Booked VAI speed curating slots for November.
…LA… fingers crossed!
06/10/18
initials in ogham
Experiment in the studio with a degree of success. When a fine layer of fixative is lit on the paintings surface, areas of the canvas that are predominantly charcoal or thin layers of colour are singed and blister - creating an interesting effect. Safety first though.
Jan is right —> the lighter background to “Pioneer” was more unsettling. Rectify.
07/10/18
Staring at “Pioneer”. I think I’m hesitant because its… I don’t know. I think the colours are too similar between light and shade. By the same token - you don’t want it to become too contrasting and cartoonish. A foreign colour introduced into the third panel may point a direction.
Flying by the seat of pants but you can’t control the spontaneous. Some detailed work today. It is getting there. Attention directed towards other matters.
… paintings and clusters of drawings - like a shotgun spread of memories. Jumbled - linked yet conflicting. Fighting for dominance.
\\\THE TRAUMA PARADOX\\\
08/10/18
Just realised a connection between “AMATGS” and the ivy crown. Oedipus plays would have been played during the festival of Dionysus - who is associated with a crown of ivy.
09/10/18
“ I gave myself permission to follow my voice and that’s what my whole career has been. I still give myself permission and no compromise. I compromised before but not when I became an artist.” Mark Bradford
10/10/18
11/10/18
13/10/18
“Into The Void Magazine” submission successful!
Sketchbook work and now watching the original ‘Suspiria’ for the first time.
14/10/18
Notes finished for presentation. Pleased with burning effect on triptych.
… was suggested something on Friday. Well it was more of a dialogue regarding “Pioneer”; the first and last sections work. They’re strong but the one that should be the strongest and the anchor, the middle piece is way behind. Changing from a triptych to a diptych? Leave it for a while - continue working on all three before abandoning the middle piece.
Using ash as a painting/drawing medium. Religious links? Why do ideas come in the final minutes of the day? Processing process.
18/10/18
On way to Dublin. Looking forward to talking about work in DLR Lexicon. Not nervous. Yet.
Just saw the most beautiful fox casually strolling across a field outside Armagh.
I’ve been skirting around issues. The ‘recall’ notion might be worth exploring again. Drawing. Painting. Video. Audio.
The DLR Lexicon is stunning. Really enjoyed the other talks - especially work of Cecilia Bullo.
19/10/18
Yesterday’s trip and talks were great. Just wish I had more time to go around some of Dublin’s galleries when I was down. Decided it was best to drop the middle canvas in “Pioneer Studies”. Finished the other two pieces and happy with the results.
20/10/18
A little tweaking to “Afore the Stoop”.
Dad suffered a bleeding eye following his operation.
22/10/18
Have been neglecting practice and methods during the week. Ards - it seems a long way off but it will fly in.
Keeping your finger on the pulse is no bad thing.
24/10/18
Personal history is a source - not the explanation. ‘imagine…’ with Tracey Emin on iPlayer was insightful. Have a new found respect for Emin’s practice and quite like a few of some of her new paintings.
27/10/18
No paints were used today but three canvases were started. The smallest piece - I don’t think will have legs. As a drawing it is strong but I feel it won’t work on canvas. I’ve drawn up “Bereft Clown” again - a different size to the previous square stretcher. Will see how it goes. The third canvas is the one I’m most excited about. It’s a merging of two images but in a slightly different way. First is an image of a German officer stationed in a concentration camp. The other is a negative of a confession screen. The idea is to project light through the lattice onto the portrait. Fright Night in the jungle was great fun!
28/10/18
Slept so much. Slow progress but progress nonetheless.
31/10/18
Spacing error.
“I’m really interested in creating moments of ‘push and pull’ in paintings and having different registers of imagery with different surface qualities - so one thing might be compositionally in the foreground but materially might be being subsumed by whats behind it.” Helen Johnson
Show and Tell: Dún Laoghaire
in visual art, art, artist, contemporary art
I was delighted to take part in VAI’s Show and Tell talks held at the stunning DLR Lexicon building in Dún Laoghaire.
I spoke about my practice and working methods along with other artists who gave insights to their work.
Speakers:
Eileen Malaniff, Des Kenny, Sheena Meagher, Melissa Ellis, Sarah Boyle, Jane Murtagh, Cecilia Bullo and Katherine Halford Greene.
Many thanks to Siobhán Mooney from VAI and DLR County Council for organising the event.
"A Manifold and Truly Glorious Strife"
in art, artist, painting, work in progress
For the past few years I've been interested creating work loosely based on the works of Sophocles and in particular the plays surrounding Oedipus. Yes there is the obvious notion of trauma involved in realising you have murdered your father and married your mother etc but this isn't really of interest. I have started a few times to make work using imagery form an 1896 Dutch production of "Oedipus Rex" but all have fell short of what I wanted to achieve.
Louis Bouwmeester as Oedipus in a Dutch production (c.1896)
Failed Study of Oedipus from 2017
"Oedipus and the Sphinx", Gustave Moreau, 1864, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The character of Oedipus has appeared in art many times. Some focused on the character's known genius and skills as a soldier / king to be like Moreau's "Oedipus and the Sphinx". Renoir's take on the myth looked at the unravelling scene of when Oedipus the king emerges from his palace having blinded himself for realising his deeds. Filled with light and energy Renoir's work is chaotic and seems to put Oedipus' kingdom of Thebes into a frenzy.
"Oedipus Rex", Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1895, Private Collection
One painting that has a different stance comes earlier than Moreau and Renoir yet looks at later circumstances. "Oedipus Cursing His Son, Polynices" by Fuseli looks at the epic poem 'The Thebaid' where Oedipus curses his sons for disrespecting him by praying to Zeus that they (Polynices and Eteocles) died by each others hand.
"Oedipus Cursing His Son, Polynices", by Henry Fuseli, 1786, oil on canvas - National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA
Polynices and Eteocles roughly translate as 'Manifold Strife' and 'Truly Glorious' respectively. I did a small sketch a few years ago of a photo taken in 1911 of past family members from when they were children and hadn't developed it any further until it came to mind as a stand in for the two sons of Oedipus (although one is actually a little girl). I've decided to merge the Dutch production image of Oedipus and the personal photo.
A mixing of the translations of Polynices and Eteocles serves as the working title for this painting in progress:
"A Manifold and Truly Glorious Strife"
A WORK IN PROGRESS
RDH: 01/07/18 - 31/07/18
01/07/18
Crunching numbers.
02/07/18
... feels unfinished ... sections fall apart ... a denying of illusionism ...
"The Mountain of the Heights" in progress.
03/07/18
TRAUMA PARADOX - CONCEPT
04/07/18
Shocked. Head spirals backwards. Sketchbook work today.
05/07/18
'Bardo' - (tibetan) a state between life and death
...instead of saying "What's wrong with you?" it should be "What happened to you?"
relaxing with visual artists news sheet from VAI
1: Emotional brain basically becomes a 'survival brain' and can hijack the conscious brain.
2: Alarm system in brain becomes distorted and a person may become hyper vigilant.
3: Ability to appraise the present and to learn from experience (an imbalance and a resistance to heal).
Developmental trauma takes time to heal and there are no quick fixes.
BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH!!!!
07/07/18
Lifting works from the Townhouse Gallery in Belfast.
rough sketch for an installation idea
08/07/18
A research day.
09/07/18
Studio wall
Refined some charcoal marks on the large landscape today.
10/07/18
"Traumatic Memory"
trauma - from the greek meaning 'to wound' or 'to pierce'.
11/07/18
NOTES from Psychology texts:
"...the story of trauma is one of enlightenment and forgetfulness.Knowledge gained and lost over and over. A history categorised by criticism and denial."
A tragic paradox of trauma is that one of it's primary casualties is that of truth itself.
Trauma is considered as - "an event outside the range of usual experience." (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -III - R - 1980)
Trauma shatters the assumptive world - invincibility has gone and the world is seen as darker, chaotic, evil and dangerous.
12/07/18
Sketchbook work today. Little steps are better than no steps at all.
13/07/18
Canvas nearly ready to go in the studio
Stretched a few canvases today.
14/07/18
detail of landscape in progress
Colours laid out and tightened back of landscape canvas.
15/07/18
;
16/07/18
"The Mountain of the Heights" in the garden.
Finished "The Mountain of the Heights" today. Could have done more but I'm learning to let go before work is destroyed.
17/07/18
"Second hand images can create first hand emotion" - Marlene Dumas
18/07/18
A delivery of paints came today
19/07/18
20/07/18
A pretty good start to my week off; I have been offered a solo show!
21/07/18
Justine McDonnell's "A Composition of She" in the Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
First night out in Belfast in ages and we are evacuated from Laverys due to a 'fire'.
22/07/18
Stunning paintings by Elizabeth Magill at the Ulster Museum, Belfast
23/07/18
An idea for using flattened paint boxes.
Too many ideas floating around.
NB: To loosen up before working from chosen imagery, I want to try and do some work from life beforehand. Can't do any harm.
A five minute self portrait study
24/07/18
"The Landis Museum" exhibition at the CCA, Derry
A trip to Derry for meetings and gallery visits.
Detail of one of Colin Davidson's remarkable paintings in "Silent Testimony" at the Nerve Visual Gallery, Derry
I first saw Colin Davidson's 'Silent Testimony' three years ago in the Ulster Museum. Today it was in the Nerve Visual Gallery in Derry. Still so powerful. The 'us and them' mentality is nonexistent and removing divisive language and politics reveals the human suffering on all sides. It is so important. So glad to have seen it again.
Beginnings of a small canvas experiment
Merging two old drawing works onto a new canvas.
Have multiple little eggs going on at the moment.
Imagine... Rose Wylie on BBC iPlayer
...where presence is evident...
"I think you're a lot happier if you don't mind a bit of imperfection." - Rose Wyllie
25/07/18
The two sons of Oedipus, Polynices and Eteocles translates to "Manifold Strife" and "Truly Glorious" respectively. Might just be the title of a new painting that's been started.
Good news: I have two works pre-selected for the Royal Ulster Academy 2018. Fingers crossed!
26/07/18
"What's for you won't go past you."
Progress on a small painting study
"It's strange, but you can't make a painting without content. Content is not like solving a problem in school or university. Content much more means that you've built up enough reason to do it. And content is also shitty because if you begin to identify too much with the content then you can't move. There are too many people shouting out in the chorus. Content starts you up and you leave it behind. It doesn't mean that you remove yourself from the content but it's too cumbersome to carry along. So when I'm working, it's not mechanical at all but it's cool headed because I'm not questioning the content. I've left it behind. It's interesting to say that content is crap, but you can't live without it." - TAL R
27/07/18
Four works in progress in the studio
"A Manifold and Truly Glorious Strife" - painting in progress
Really pleased with how "A Manifold and Truly Glorious Strife" is shaping up.
"You have to create something that lives in a kind of mystery." - TAL R
28/07/18
Worked on "Rehearsal Study" today. Played with skin tone and facial features using an air compressor to manipulate the paint. A slightly less controlled appearance.
31/07/18
So pleased to have been able to attend the iDA reception event at the Atypical Gallery in Belfast. This website is only possible through the iDA grant from atypical and the Arts Council fo Northern Ireland so I'm extremely grateful for their continued support and guidance. Congratulations to all the award recipients this year!
RDH: 27/05/18 - 30/06/18
27/25/18
NB:- "Imprint": washes over selected charcoal marks makes for a more painterly and softer outcome whilst still retaining the drawing element - it's just not as overwhelming. Marrying the two worlds. Artistically I'm in a good place. It's utilising time more effectively.
28/05/18
On Hodler's "Night": covered figure personifies death as an intensification of sleep. On the back of the canvas Hodler wrote: "There is many a people who lies down to rest in the evening but who does not wake up in the morning."
"Night" by Ferdinand Hodler - 1899/90 - Museum of Fine Arts Bern
"Riot" and "Chidren of the Stage" started.
"Children of the Stage" - early progress.
Haven't painted on board in two years. Keep forgetting how forgiving the surface is.
"Riot" piece started.
29/05/18
Hot air balloon in trouble over Draperstown medical centre.
Started small canvas of "Cult" drawing I did five years ago. Been a long time but its always good to keep everything - just in case.
"Cult" painting in progress.
30/05/18
Let's see what happens.
02/06/18
Playing about with "The Mountain of the Heights" - particularly the sky. Intangible so the marks should be also.
Early layers of sky
03/06/18
"Rosetta II" by Jenny Saville - oil on watercolour paper mounted on board - 2005/06
"I want to be a painter of modern life, and modern bodies." - Jenny Saville.
A.F. born today.
More progress in the sky of "The Mountain of the Heights".
04/06/18
"The Mountain of the Heights" and "Imprint" on the studio wall.
05/06/18
Notes from a previous workshop:
Turn off distractions
Centred space
Give yourself permission to move your practice forward.
Elevator pitch - needs work.
Find focus and priorities.
Studio days - regimented routine.
Be persistent and consistent.
Find unproductive habits + break them.
Defend creative time.
Slow down and hear your own ideas.
"Creativity is not a talent - it's a way of operating." - John Cleese
When you value serendipity, you start noticing it at work right away.
07/06/18
Awarded iDA from Atypical Gallery and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland!
09/06/18
Degree show work entitled "My Darlene" by photographer Ryan Hamilton.
Installation shot from Stephanie Tanney's degree show. Not unlike Holder's shrouded figure.
A close up of one of Karl Hagan's stunning paintings at the Belfast School of Art degree show.
One of Aimee Melaugh's atmospheric paintings at her degree show.
Saw a lot of art. A LOT OF ART.
Belfast School of Art degree show was fantastic but there were four stand out artists:
Ryan Hamilton in photography.
Stephanie Tanney in sculpture.
Karl Hagan in painting
Aimee Melaugh in painting.
The Golden Thread Gallery group exhibition "After an Act" was great.
"Submerge Form (Red)" by Deb Covell - 2017
David Moore's show in Belfast Exposed was really interesting.
The back wall of David Moore's exhibition entitled "Lisa and John" in Belfast Exposed.
10/06/18
Whiterocks beach just outside Portrush.
11/06/18
Zero energy. There are not enough hours in the day. Structure. Guilty of putting off work because of convenience.
Some sketchbook work done today but not enough.
13/06/18
Is yellow is the colour of hope?
"Selvportrett I Helvvette" by Edvard Munch - 1903 - The Munch Museum, Oslo
16/06/18
"Painting 1946" by Francis Bacon. Part of the MoMA collection.
Bacon was fascinated by butcher shops as a child. The figure in the painting said to be pre-war Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain - known for carrying an umbrella. This work is raw power, beauty and horror rolled in one.
My painter's table of 8 years.
18/06/18
Detail of "Cult" painting in progress.
Paint/draw with purpose. Reasons - just because I can't pin them down doesn't mean they aren't there.
20/06/18
Lubaina Himid - take a "given history" from found objects and then "paint a history on them that isn;t as much talked about." Daytime can't be squandered - every hour counts.
23/06/18
Bonnie keeping me company in the studio today.
Painted pretty much up to 10pm tonight,. Stuck in the zone.
24/06/18
Jan enjoying the sunset at Rosses Point, Sligo.
Trip to Rosses Point. So hot too and great to bump into Rob and Sally. Small world.
25/06/18
View of "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" in the Hamilton Gallery, Sligo.
Great to see familiar names (Lisa Ballard, Alison Pilkington and Clement McAleer) in the Hamilton Gallery's group exhibition 'An Irish Airman Foresees His Death'.
One of my favourite pieces in the Hamilton Gallery had to be "Spirit of the Aviator" by Brian McDonagh.
26/06/18
Trip to The Model in Sligo town before home. A wonderful space.
Outside The Model, Sligo.
Massive painting by Antje Majewski in the "Future Perfect" exhibition, The Model, Sligo
28/06/18
Close up of "Cult" - Oil and Charcoal on Canvas
Slowly getting back into the rhythm of working again. Finished "Cult". The small child is considerably creepier than expected. More work to "Mountain of the Heights" - been looking at Cezanne's multiple treatments of Mont Sainte-Victoire for some sort of guidance.
Getting there with "The Mountain of the Heights".
Extremely hot in the studio - close to 30°C.
30/06/18
I have Sickert's "Ennui" on my mind.
"Ennui" by Walter Richard Sickert - 1914 - part of Tate Collection