REPRESENT 2014

 

by  Poppy Field  I  digiQualia.com

Last night saw the opening of REPRESENT 2014, an exhibition and sale of contemporary representational and figurative art in Notting Hill, London. On display is work by over 50 young artists covering a range of genres including drawings, still lives, portraits, landscapes and sculpture.

Details of works by Olivia Crane, Eudald de Juana Gorriz, Jamie Coreth, Oliver Chennells and Vladimir Jovicevic. Photo courtesy of Georgina Stanley.

Despite hailing from all over the world, many of the artists were in attendance.

One such painter, Mitchell Price, had flown in from the United States that very morning. As the first guests came streaming in I wrapped up an interview with Mitch for digiQualia’s upcoming video REPRESENT 2014 . And, although he hadn’t slept for nearly 23 hours, Mitch was, as always, a delight to talk to! Look out for his interview and see for yourself.

  

Mitchell Hill Price and Poppy Field. Photo by digiQualia.

So what is the origin of REPRESENT?

It all started with the enigmatic Georgina Stanley who is currently studying at The Florence Academy of Art (FAA).  When her mother and a friend visited her last October they were impressed with the number of hugely talented and hard-working students... but struck that so many were uncertain about making the transition from the academy to the art market. With Georgina, they decided to create an opportunity for students and alumni to exhibit and perhaps even sell their work!

By Pau Marinello. Photo courtesy of Georgina Stanley.

It wasn’t long before students from other academies began contacting Georgina, expressing their desire to take part. The majority of exhibitors are still trying to fund their way through training. What was once an idea became a reality – REPRESENT 2014.

The overwhelming success of Thursday’s viewing is testament to the dedication and passion of Georgina's entire team.  

Olivia Crane, Georgina’s ‘right hand’, masterminded the astounding website and was also there to assist and support with the endless surplus of admin. Olivia, currently apprenticed to Nick Devereux in Paris, arrived in the nick of time to help with last minute loose ends.

Poppy Field, Georgina Stanley and Olivia Crane. Photo by digiQualia.

But help came from all quarters. The invitations and flyers were designed by the Catalan painter Gerard Castellvi-Gasco; Lee Craigmile from Scotland and Robert Kelly from Australia were on hand for all the framing and hanging, while Sara Chong from Singapore and Oliver Chennells from South Africa attended to the music. 

REPRESENT 2014 is a truly international event with the exhibitors united by their rigorous academic training at world-acclaimed academies in Florence, Sweden and Barcelona.

With increasing numbers of students keen to showcase their work, Georgina knew she would need a large exhibition space.  Having grown up in Notting Hill, she had a perfect venue in mind - The 20^th Century Theatre - an iconic building where Laurence Olivier, amongst others, began his acting career.

 St Marks by Tanvi Pathare. Photo courtesy of Georgina Stanley.

This year is very much a ‘trial run’ for Georgina. However, if it continues to prove successful over the next two days, she hopes to make this unique opportunity for contemporary representational and figurative art students to exhibit in London an annual event. 

Do visit REPRESENT 2014 if you can. I think you’ll find it’s worth it.

By Jordi Diaz Alama. Photo courtesy of Georgina Stanley.

REPRESENT 2014 is open to the public on Friday 12^th and Saturday 13^thSeptember, from 10am to 6pm. And it’s not too far from Portobello market if you have any time to spare!

The History of Art is Messy… Let's Talk: Marc Dalessio

by Poppy Field I digiQualia.com

As an Art History undergraduate, I spend a substantial amount of time with my eyes fixed upon an image or nose in a book…. in these moments my thoughts revolve around times gone by.

But, I also reflect upon my own life. I love to remember the wonderful year I spent sculpting, drawing, laughing, crying, eating, sleeping and breathing amongst actual real-life artists in Florence.

It is in these moments that I imagine the future and cannot help but chuckle. Trained in academic techniques, these artists are going to cause such problems for future generations of Art Historians. It is with the deepest respect that I judge none more so than the painter Marc Dalessio.

Let me elaborate.The History of Art is messy. Most movements are without manifestos. Styles cannot be neatly labelled. Artists and their Art are enigmas. Indeed, my first essay of term questioned how the scientific examination of paintings brings information to the discussion of authorship. Prior to this, I had no idea that artwork is so regularly subjected to such extensive analysis!For instance, if are under the impression that the Van Eycks invented oil painting then I am afraid Vasari has deceived you.Seeing Through Paintings, a surprisingly accessible read, reveals that oils have actually been utilized by artists from about the 6^th Century. Although, admittedly, it was not until the 15^th Century that drying agents, necessary for the paint to harden, were added. From the 1700s many more pigments became widely available. The 1840s saw the invention of the zinc tube that gave rise to en plein air painting. Following the Second World War, the production of commercially available Acrylic and PVA paints commencedMaterials available to artists, and accepted as art by the public, have so drastically evolved that we are left wondering “What is Art?” For example, just last week I was volunteering at a children’s workshop with theRoyal British Society of Sculptors when the question “what can sculpture be made from?” was posed. One little boy made his classmates laugh uncontrollably with the suggestion: “Light!” Yet, artists such as James Turrell have shown us even that is possible. Just pop over to Pace, London to see for yourself.So, how could I not think of Marc? With so many modern mediums available why does he practise traditional techniques?Recently, Marc explained to me that commercial oils contain fillers that sometimes weaken a colour’s tinting strength. This becomes apparent in the comparison of hand-ground and shop-bought black oil paint… the latter appears slightly grey. Thus, he considers it essential to make his own media of pigment and high-quality linseed or walnut oil:My second essay of the term considered aristocratic patronage and court artists.Parallels can be drawn between the traditions of gift giving in Renaissance Courts and the relationship Marc enjoys with his patrons. Did you know that Sofonisba Anguissola, the Cremonese female artist at the court of Philip II (1527-1598), was once given a four-faceted diamond upon the completion of a full-length portrait? Today, when Marc spends time at an Italian aristocrat’s estate, their thanks is often demonstrated with gifts of fine wine and olive oil. Image detailing that on a tax return!Such stays involve at least one portrait commission. In his studio, Marc usually works on portraits for two hours each day, but when undertaking such a commission in situ he tends to focus on this image alone. Although, inevitably the time individual clients are willing to pose for a painting greatly affects the speed of production.

Yet, Marc does not deny the convenience of innovation. He recognizes that various manufactured colours are very similar to those he might make. And so, alongside his traditional hand-ground paints, Marc has been known to apply Williamsburg cadmiums and Old Holland blues.

With pigment analysis considered a vital technique in dating artwork, I am certain that Marc’s combination of media and methods will surprise future restorers.

Angel Ramiro Sanchez, the Director of Advanced Painting at the FAA, describes such commissions as “creating a biography of the sitter.”  

A patron may have a vision of themselves or the loved one who is to be painted… perhaps a “romanticized notion” which can create unrealistic expectations as well as pressure. Needless to say, it is vital to maintain a good relationship. I have been lucky enough to interview Ramiro – it was then that he revealed the difference between painting patrons and friends:

Where can we place artists like Marc and Ramiro in the canon of Art History? Can an academic training the grounding in bargue drawings and hours spent before a live model be considered the defining characteristic. Neo-what I wonder? Or are they simply the continuation of a practice that cannot be pigeon holed.

Whilst at The Florence Academy of Art (FAA) I often found myself sitting for friends. To maintain a pose for a quick sketch is one thing. To spend a few hours each day in that same position is another. Of course, with distraction this becomes easier. Ione Hunter Gorden ensured that I was comfortable for the following portrait by playing a stream of chick flicks.

The experience of sitting for the sculptor Johanna Schwaiger so affected me that I wrote an entire article about it!

Yet, ensuring a patron’s comfort is not always a painter’s greatest challenge.

Marc has identified that his patrons tend to have one of two distinctive mindsets. The majority entertain the modern notion that “the artist is a solitary genius who demands complete creative freedom and control” while a fraction still maintain a more ‘historic’ approach. That is, they consider themselves “as the producer of the work and the artist as a means to that end”.

Surprisingly, Marc prefers the latter. He believes that to create something significant an artist must have boundaries to push against.

So, commissions are a tricky business. Especially if a patron has “strong opinions and doubtful taste.” Thankfully, Marc has allowed me to pass on a little of his advice; “be polite to the staff, don't get paint on anything and, at dinner, start from the outside with the silverware!”

For over a decade, Marc has exhibited his personal work at the Grenning Gallery in Long Island. This has exposed  his work to a wealthy community  and enabled him to grow his clientele. It has also allowed Marc to spend his summers there! He has observed that an artist “being inspired by an area acts as a great validation” for the locals.

It is evident that Marc combines his talent with a sound business sense. As Simon Fletcher revealed in digiQualia’s previous blog post, this is how to succeed in today's world.