Beneath the Skin:
An exhibition of
paintings and other works by Annabel Mednick
Beneath the Skin
exhibition of paintings
by Annabel Mednick
Waterfront Gallery, University of Suffolk, Ipswich
February 5th - 28th 2018 Mon- Fri 9.00am - 4.00pm, Sat 24th 12.00 - 3.00pm
Demo Sat 24th 1.00pm
latest blog.
http://annabelmednick.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/beneath-skin-at-waterfront-gallery-5th.html
and here are the links to the pages on this blog of the project as it has developed.
Beneath the Skin
exhibition of paintings
by Annabel Mednick
Waterfront Gallery, University of Suffolk, Ipswich
February 5th - 28th 2018 Mon- Fri 9.00am - 4.00pm, Sat 24th 12.00 - 3.00pm
Demo Sat 24th 1.00pm
TRANSITIONS
latest blog.
http://annabelmednick.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/beneath-skin-at-waterfront-gallery-5th.html
and here are the links to the pages on this blog of the project as it has developed.
In early 2015 Leo Collins, a
transgender female to male, with cerebral palsy, then aged 22, approached me as
he was interested in working with an artist. He wanted to show that disability
and constant movement is not a barrier to exploring life. I am an experienced artist, working mainly in
oil on canvas. I have sold and exhibited widely, and have won awards for my
work, including at the BP National Portrait Gallery portrait awards. I often work thematically over periods of
time to create bodies of work to be presented in their entirety.
The idea of painting and drawing someone who moved, and who had altered his external appearance to fit more with what he felt like on the inside, appealed to me. Two years on, we now have a body of work that is ready to be presented in a touring exhibition that will incorporate paintings and drawings alongside film, sound and poetry. The exhibition invites the viewer to look at the person rather than the disability, but without pretending that the disability is not there. The exhibition also provides a basis for talks and audience discussion about issues related to disability and appearance, and can be installed in a variety of venues.
Over the time that Leo and I have been working together, we
have developed a strong and intimate relationship, which I hope shows in the
work. Taking a nebulous idea and letting it develop has been very
rewarding. But one of the unexpected and surprising outcomes I have found
is the difficulty in showing movement and change in the still image, especially
with the expressive marks of paint. Whilst photography can often show
movement more effectively, paint can be subtler, revealing softer layers.
When Leo sat for me and I made some representational
portraits, I discovered that painting a person with cerebral palsy is not very
different to painting someone who doesn’t have a disability and who also moves
a bit over a few hours.
‘The boy with the i-phone’ (oil on
canvas, 102 x 72 cm) Portrait (oil on
canvas, 60 x 45 cm)
Painting from life was a challenge to both of us, and it
certainly created physical challenges for Leo.
And while showing that disability need not be the central focus, Leo was
nevertheless interested in me painting and drawing the scoliosis in his back,
as that was a visible part of his body and of his disability.
‘The Back’ (oil on canvas, 100cm x 50 cm) ‘Movement and flow’ (Charcoal on Paper, 60 x 80
cm)
We had observed how disabled people, if represented at all,
are rarely shown with status. Professor Stephen Hawking always wears a suit,
and so we explored this idea with 'The Jacket' (oil on canvas, 76cmx 100cm). 'OK,
look' (oil; on canvas 76cmx 100cm) was a response to an earlier exhibition I
had held of paintings I had made of the model I work with (‘The Blue Years’,
2013). When we look at life drawing we look at the figure depicted; we may look
at emotion, brush strokes, the human being. Whether the person is able-bodied
is not the issue. Here Leo is simply 'the model'.
‘Living with
your expectations!’ and ‘I am me whatever I am wearing!’ (both oil on canvas,
90 x 90cm).
Identity
emerging through gender specific clothes and pushing through the folds of a
ball gown.
‘Ascension’ (oil on canvas, 122 x 91cm)
The struggle of both gender and
disability.
‘Chrysalis’ (mixed media and Perspex, 52x
122cm)
Exploring the internal fighting to break
out of the external
As well as paintings, I have also created two large Perspex
pieces (122x 122cm) that will sit centrally in the exhibition space. Using
Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man as a starting point I look at what is the perfect
man. Using a transparent medium allows
the viewer to see the other paintings in the exhibition through it, thereby
experiencing a more complex, personal feeling over and above the
paintings.
I will also show the photo shoot short films and
documentation in real time, via film of a demonstration/conversation session
with the subject, Leo, and an audience. Over the whole exhibition an audio
track will play a recording of a conversation between Leo and me about his
involuntary movements.
Leo is a sensitive, insightful young man, capable of
enormous self-control and determination, and not interested in self-pity. His
poems, which explore the ‘Does he take
sugar?’ aspect of life that he encounters, will also be part of the
exhibition, reinforcing the important theme of looking at the person, not the
disability.
The exhibition works as a coherent installation, consisting
of drawings, paintings on canvas and Perspex, and with film and sound
recordings playing continuously. It also works as a durational piece, about
process and change, with painting and drawing as the primary medium.
The exhibition can also include
discussion between the artist, model and audience, providing opportunities for
public and educational engagement around the central issues of disability and
appearance. The exhibition is easily installed, and bookings can be made for
periods throughout 2017 and 2018.
Annabel Mednick
March 2017
e:
annabel.mednick@googlemail.com
t: 07736009102
w: annabelmednick.blogspot.co.uk
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