Contextual Studies...

     

For my contextual studies class this year I have chosen to look at portraiture. As this is a very wide topic I have chosen to focus on the work of both Andy Warhol and Grayson Perry. They have both developed the field of portraiture. 

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol was one of the the most influential artists of the 20th Century, and was regarded as the father of Pop Art. This movement created a great sense of optimism during the post war period. Warhol liked to challenge the idealist visions and personal emotions conveyed by an idea. He embraced popular culture and commercial processes to produce numerous collections of different artwork that appealed to the public. He represented pop both in his art and himself; everything that made Pop Art revolutionary was contained within his work. He discovered an artistic potential suited to modern mass society. He linked up with artistic ideas that involved neither exaggerated  individualism nor reflection on aesthetic models. His paintings and prints were the result of consumerism and glossy magazines. He repeated the same ideas numerous times to create an endless series which he reflected upon the standardization of mass production. His unconventional style and celebrity entourage helped him to reach his mega star status which he aspired to and was very famous for his portraits of Marilyn Monroe. Warhol used a photo of her from the film 'Niagara' to reproduce a number of prints. He hand printed the silk screens which resulted in a variation of colour and the amount of paint used in each print. In the black and white images he has blurred and faded some of the faces which could suggest the stars demise, in addition the contrast between the black and white images with the coloured images with the coloured images could imply the contrast between life and death.

Andy Warhol - 'Marilyn Diptych  1962'

Grayson Perry

Grayson Perry is well known for his work with ceramics, printmaking, drawing and embroidery. His ceramics have become collectable signature artefacts and he was the winner of the 2003 Turner Prize. Perry's three part television series 'Who are You?' looks at British identity in the form of portraiture. He created 14 portraits which looked at upper, middle and lower class while representing different forms of identity such as religion, gender and fame. In each episode it showed Perry talking to a range of people and then creating a portrait of them, during the interviews he asked each individual what their 'true' identity was. He wanted to reveal the truth of their personality through portraiture. As Perry said, 'Nothing beats portraiture, get it right and it will tell you something a thousand selfies never could.' 

One of the people he interviewed was former X Factor contestant Rylan Clark and his portrait is a 21st century version of an Elizabethan portrait, I found this effective as it brought a modern edge to an old style of painting. In addition the painting could be described as ironic as both the title 'The Earl of Essex' and the style of the portrait have made reference to the Royal family, which he would never be associated with. However it could be used to foreshadow his rising success in television.

Grayson Perry - 'The Earl of Essex'