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Latest version of IPO

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Quick video pan of my install for Exposure

I’m really happy with how my install went for Exposure. I had conversations with the people in my group as well as lectures for their opinions on the best way to order hanging these works. Initially I was going to have all 4 next to each other on the large wall in the space but then decided to arrange them in a way that created conversation between the works themselves, the audience and the other peoples’ works in the space.

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Transporting my paintings from Havilah (exhibition space in cbd) to uni in the most dodgy way

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A few photos of Nicloe, Jordan and I setting up our space in 2E05 for Exposure

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Reflection of the last 4 years at Art School

Overall I feel like the last 4 years has been the most emotional rollercoaster I’ve ever been on. In first year I thought Massey was the most wack place I’d ever been; taking the Painting elective as one of my first classes and being taught right back to square one, learning about the colour wheel. Coming straight out of high school I felt like I was top shit and I knew everything there was to know about painting. I was wrong.

First year was a whirlwind, leaving home for the first time, living in a hall and going to art school. Taking crazy classes like Art Place and Art Lab, I thought I should’ve taken VCD. However, I stuck it out and played with making some more abstract art. Coming out of high school I felt passionate about portraiture, I just don’t think I knew it at the time and few like Massey pushed people to play around more with contemporary art. I did Drawing The Body as an elective class which I really enjoyed because it really pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me to look at drawing in a different way.

In second year I moved into Block 2 (the unknown building) aka the Fine Arts building where I was thrown into the deep end having classes with mixes of second, third and fourth year students all working on different stuff. A very chaotic vibe. Second years were made to experiment with at least two different mediums (I.e sculpture, painting, film, performance etc.) in the first semester; I chose sculpture and then painting. I didn’t love the sculpture module as I felt a bit out of my depth. The painting module was interesting and I started experimenting with abstract work, mixing GAG mediums into acrylic paint to create liquid, glossy like finishes to my paintings. If I’m honest I really hated the works I made but ended up getting a B+ or something which confused me. I felt really stuck with what I wanted to make at art school and what the whole point of being there was. In the second semester after having many breakdowns in front of Bryce, I decided to go back to what I enjoyed painting in high school, painting people.

I’ll admit its been a rough 3 years trying to make my passion for portraiture work in a contemporary environment such as Massey but I feel like I’ve finally pulled it off. I spent third year trying to stabilise my concept and the ideas I wanted to convey through my painting. I also spent a lot of time talking to Simon Morris and Raul about painting techniques because as a painter it is extremely timprtnt to have knowledge about painting technique and how to portray images through painting. I discovered that I like painting from photographic references so that I can spend as much time on a painting a work as I like. Because I wanted to use photographic references, I decided I would choose a model (ended up being my friend Abbey) and take photographs of her posing to paint from. As I continued I decided I wanted to capture the more awkward, less posed moments of her. I painted by copying the image just by eye which ended up making the figure look a bit disproportionate. Through conversations with Simon and Raul and my own research looking at artists such as Luc Tuymans and Triston Pigott, I felt I mastered my painting technique.

As my Fourth and final year rolled around I kind of panicked and felt at a holt with my creativity and thought I wanted to put my degree on hold. However, after a lot of thought I decided to do it and  I decided I really wanted to end the year with a bang and make work I was really proud of. At the start of the year I defined my focus of my practice which was to capture contemporary portraiture by translating the messy informality of candid photography and video into paintings. I decided My photographic reference would come from me video recording the people I surround myself with in my day to day (my friends mostly). I did this by using a cam corder. We all had the most bumpy start to 2020 with having a global pandemic that started in about March and having to go into lockdown for at least 4 weeks. This disrupted everyone in so many ways and I ended up going home to Auckland for lockdown. This meant my work became restricted to only being able to make work from he video recordings I had taken over the past month or so. I was also restricted with materials (ie getting canvases etc).

In the second semester this year I definitely didn’t make as much work as I could’ve and I know a lot of my lectures would’ve liked to have seen more from me. BUT Im really happy with my final hand in works, I feel really proud of they turned out. I feel like a real artist with an established practice.

In 2019 I found out I have dyslexia which explains so much. I really struggled with the CCC writing papers but feel that my talent lies in painting. I know a lot of people in Fine Arts are dyslexic and are so creative in many other ways. I really felt like I found a community or even more so a family within Fine Arts. Theres nothing better than bouncing creative ideas off your friend and peers to create your best work. I’m really looking forward to what the outside world will bring me in 2021 and I’m hoping Covid won’t strike back as bad as it did this year. I hope to continue with my painting practice on my own.

Ty Massey, luv u 4eva xoxo Boujie Baby

Peace out

[fransemester2]

Plan for Exposure

Initially I thought I was only going to put my best 2 large paintings in exposure because from previous experience at my exhibition ‘No Road Home’, I exhibited 2 works and they communicated really well with each other. 

Then I made 2 new works of the same large scale and had a discussion with SImon about what works he thought would be best in Exposure and he suggested I go out with a bang and put all 4 works in. So thats exactly what I have decided to do. 

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Muntean and Rosenblum

Could be compared to as the “new Instagram” by the way they document moments of the everyday.

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The Projector I’ve borrowed from Mike since before Covid lockdown in March. This projector is a key part of the process behind my works.

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Fine Arts party at the City Gallery with my lil Fine Arts crew <3

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Me being vain after finishing my painting and feeling happy with it. Also useful to take a photo of me next to the work for scale.

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Paint palette after creating ‘Lily’

I also mixed impasto in with the paint (as I’ve done with the last 3 works) to create an even thicker texture with the paint. This allows the paint to pop on the canvas.

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Detail shots of ‘Lily’

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Progress pics of creating ‘Lily’

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Gessoing my next canvas for ‘Lily’

I gessoed this work the same as the other 3: using transparent gesso mixed with light pink acrylic paint.

Before doing this coat of gesso, I did one coat (on this work and on the previous work) with rabbit skin glue (a very Traditional gesso). It makes the canvas super tort almost like a drumhead.

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Outcome of paint pallette after creating ‘Ella’

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Details of ‘Ella’

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‘Ella’ finished

I’m really thrilled with how this work turned out, I think it’s my favourite so far because it feels refined. I feel as though this work really reflects my research on artists such as Luc Tuymans, Tristan Pigott and Peter Stichbury while quite clearly depicting my own original style.