tutorial from 25.11.10

STUDENT TO FILL IN:

1. What points were discussed during the tutorial?

We talked about art forms that already try to sell a lifestyle such as pop art and how they relate to my work, as I tried to make work that shows authenticity that is not shown in media and advertising. I should think about, how to make clear, that I do not paint someone famous, as it always seems that way in the scale that I work in. I shall not only write about my antipathy against media, but to look deeper and also write about the power that advertising and media has, perhaps even use that power for my own work. As I paint from photos, how can I make clear, or use it as an issue, that I don´t paint from live objects or people, but use photos as a basis for that.

I also mentioned my interest in the imagery of CCTV cameras, but wasn´t very clear which direction to take.

2. What issues will be thinking further on as a result of this conversation?

I will do some research in the pop art, and how they exactly used media and also mainstream in their work and what aspects of media did they use and exploit for their work. I also have a recommendation to have a look at the film " the century of the self I" which deals with the roots of the power of media.

I will also deal with Jamie Wagg, Jason Brooks, and for sure Chuck Close as they already work in the field that I want to work in. I also think about options how to make clear, that I am working from photographs - or prints of photographs, in contrast of for example Lucian Freud.

With the theme of CCTV I want to formulate clear aims, as I think it could be an interesting project. I want to point out, which role people will have in this project, and if the narrative quality of these pictures should be an issue or not.

STAFF COMMENTS:

Max gives a good, clear account of his thinking and the issues we discussed. At the moment there is a slight disjuncture between how he is contextualising his work and what we are seeing, in this sense his ideas are yet to realized. However the work is strong and it may be that he needs to re-configure his proposal around what he is actually making. The large portraits are a good progression from the pixilated imagery and they are visually arresting. It would be worth thinking more about how he is applying paint, his gestures, surfaces and marks and looking at other contemporary painters; Michael Borremans might be an idea, or UK based Kaye Donachie, Andy Stahl and Tim Stoner. Re the ideas around advertising and billboard imagery it is always worth re-visiting Andy Warhol, in particular the debate around his ‘portraiture’.