A Tissue?
Ok so I tried this small drawing on a tissue used by a friend for cleaning up around the studio. Not wishing to endorse negative stereotypes about homelessness I felt I still had to deal with them and address them in some way. There are some perceptions out there about homeless people being dirty, disposable, society’s waste and the used tissue of course can be seen as representing all these things. Obvious maybe, but direct too. Could it be effective though? Started by gluing the thing down in my sketchbook, then drew a small portrait on it in pencil. It turned out as crappy as the tissue it was drawn on! Hated it, tore it away and………liked what was left. Worked over it again, this time with marker pen which somehow seemed in tune with both the destructive and constructive nature of my tearing. Having previously created on cardboard by tearing I was pleased that this translated to my used tissue. I believe the work has some potential and this work or similar works may be worth showing.
Tommy
The source image for this portrait was selected after carefully viewing hours of video footage. Initially I look for people whose character, stories and experiences interest me, but with that in mind, these being portraits, they must have a face and a look. With all the will in the world a person’s humanity won’t be captured if their face does not convey it. The man portrayed is called Tommy. He lives in a rough shelter in woodland and talks of the cycle of no permanent home and a lack of work. No home means no job and no job means no permanent home.
The tone and manner of his voice is warm and without bitterness. His unusual appearance adds to his appeal. Long curls frame an older face and cascade down from beneath a battered cap. He is well kept and clean, giving a clue to some pride and self-respect. Tommy expresses his frustration at watching the world going on around him without being able to take part. Although his look and expression is non-confrontational it still has power. His pride and resilience is evident. He speaks without self-pity but his face tells of his frustration at the constant battle and many losses that his daily life entails.
Tommy’s view is averted from the viewer as though looking to that world that at this time he cannot be a part of. I chose this faraway, contemplative look from many stills I had taken from the video source as I thought it captured well the disconnect from the rest of the world that many unsheltered people speak of. Tommy’s full story is not told so how he became homeless is not revealed. This helped me to paint him in a nonjudgmental way and retain a certain amount of the neutrality I have been aiming for. I hope to leave the viewer to draw their own conclusions about the work and the people portrayed. The conclusions they draw will possibly have as much to do with their own background, knowledge and life experience as those of the people portrayed.
It’s Not All Black and White. Why monotone?
For this project I have moved away from the full colour of my previous painted works and begun to work in monotone. Many of todays major portrait and figurative artists are working in this way, but why? Yan Pei Ming, Richter, Wilhelm Sasnal, Vihls, all monotone. Yan Pei Ming explains it this way;
“black and white create a world of one’s own. An artist has to find and create his own world. Besides, black and white suit my artistic language. I am a very simple person. These two colours are very direct and true, simple.”
http://www.initiartmagazine.com/interview.php?IVarchive=6
Speaking for myself I have to say that for the message I am trying to convey, colour would be an unwelcome distraction. When looking at my current work I don’t want the viewer to be thinking about colour or the formal qualities of the work. The people are the important thing and I aim for the debate to be about them rather than the aesthetic aspect. That’s not to say I should completely ignore questions of composition and aesthetics, but for this project they need to play a back up role. I would be disappointed when presenting subject matter of this importance to me to hear a discussion about whether my colours were “right”, therefore I have decided to completely remove this potential distraction. “Direct and true, simple”
Putting the paints down for five minutes my attention was drawn to an article in today’s Telegraph. Entitled “Four women on being homeless” it tells of the experiences of four women who found themselves in a homeless situation. The article is interesting because the people and the stories they tell do not fit the stereotypical view of homelessness and explain that more and more people are becoming vulnerable to the threat of homelessness.
Common factors in the stories told are the precariousness of private rental, lack of tenant’s rights and a severe lack of council housing and support. Secure tenancy and a permanent home were once a right, but at now it seems to be becoming more a privilege and a prize.
Homelessness is not just about living and sleeping rough on the streets. Many people, many families are finding themselves in totally unsuitable accommodation very often through no fault of their own. The problem, the threat and fear of homelessness does not go away simply by putting a roof over peoples’ heads. The issue of secure and permanent housing is one that needs to be addressed. Although the stories may seem grim, the resilience and strength of those portrayed in the article does show through, it hasn’t been easy for them. If you want to read the piece for yourself click on the link below.
Blogs have been thin on the ground for the past month. My time has been taken up very productively, mainly with gathering source material and acquiring various materials for painting and drawing onto and exploring different approaches to exploit these materials fully. From this point I have begun to produce work that I am actually happy with. I am becoming more attracted to reclaimed timber, whether in sheet material, boards, planks or slats. I am finding these materials interesting as they provide another layer to the painted works, offering the viewer the chance to contemplate their significance in relation to the subject matter.
These materials were fashioned to build houses and structures and when found or reclaimed are often used to create temporary shelter. With shortage of housing and a serious lack of homes currently being built a significant contributing factor to homelessness and the threat of homelessness, the relation between these materials and the people and issues depicted on them is one well worth developing.
At the moment I am about to begin work on some found fencing panel strips. Their role in marking and securing boundaries, separating land and property and defining ownership of these is an opportunity I could not pass up. The irony of using a material that keeps people out of homes and off of land to portray the homeless fascinated me and is an idea well worth developing.
