Paul Coldwell crit

Notes:

Paul Coldwell Crit 8 June 2011

Max introduced his work by stating that he was interested in the misleading appearance of images: E.g. Supposed UFOs actually buttons; Protesters appearing funny, yet with a serious function; A tomato fight evoking war/violence.

Paul Coldwell (PC) noted the different approach to painting taken in each piece/series.

It was stated that the photojournalistic quality of the images was apparent.

Max noted that the paintings were connected to the photograph. The images read out of context give an initial response which is at odds with their original purpose. The idea is to confuse the viewer.

PC questioned the rationale behind the scale of the paintings and suggested that the sizes could be reversed: i.e. that the viewer would read the protesters differently if they were small as the content of the image would be less immediately apparent. Similarly, if the UFO pieces were larger, the viewer would look and attempt to find things in the vista.

Concerning the Tomato Fight painting, Max stated that he was interested in the movement from figuration to abstraction. PC stated that the painting evoked the massacre pits in Bosnia and that the reality of the image provided an interesting double edge: innocent, yet interpreted as catastrophic. It was suggested that an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum would be relevant.

PC questioned what effect the artist intended the work to have in the world. Max stated that the aim was to confuse the viewer and that he didn’t want to the work read as social comment.

PC noted that the work was jarring a literal reading and that the problem today was that we are not allowed to interpret. The importance or otherwise of the veracity of the image in the context of digital photo manipulation was mentioned.

The way in which people play to the camera in conflict situations was raised. Theatre of conflict.

A question was raised regarding the importance of the viewer becoming confused. Max stated that the titles of the paintings would provide a clue to their intention.

PC reference Hunt’s painting of a tethered goat and the range of ideas people project onto the work. PC suggested that Max consider how he paints and more consciously make decisions about style. The importance of the surface to painting that referenced photography was stated. B.J. Kelmans (????)

-----

Comments on Comments:

I very much liked the idea of making the UFO painting bigger, that the viewer would have to search for the -wrong- thing in the image. Maybe it would be necessary to set the painting in context with other paintings where strange, unexpected things are happening. So I could shape the expectation of the viewer and use it.

I also very much liked the term -theatre of conflict-. I see some potential in it, as theatre automatically includes fakeness. I´m very interested in the interaction with cameras in times of war and catastrophy, and the fact, that every conflict is dependent on media-attention to be successful. The resulting images are semi-authentic, as the conflict is real, but through the interaction with the cameras a fragment of the conflict turns into a staged scene.