Examining Christian Devotional Painting in a Modern Context

1. Scholarship – 2010:Painting (93306) Examples of Candidate Work

2. Outstanding Scholarship This submission shows evidence of locating a painting project within historic precedent and conventions associated with Christian devotional painting. This provides a contextual framework from which the candidate has articulated their own personal aspirations; to re-contextualize a Catholic Saint in a modern setting and in doing so, explore contemporary notions of displacement, both individual and universal. The workbook demonstrates a thorough background study to provide subject-matter, a productive awareness of artistic precedent and a useful means of circumscribing the parameters for content that give account of the interests of the candidate. It proposes open-ended questions that link a desire to make representation of cultural ideas to possibilities for artistic practice and context. The well founded interrelationship between the candidate’s aspirations, their chosen technical/stylistic preferences and their contextual interests provide sufficient scope to enable an in-depth and intelligent inquiry. A high level of technical fluency and a sophisticated awareness of compositional devices, appropriate to style and genre has been demonstrated throughout the portfolio. The initial employment of Photo-Realism allows for gently ironic contemporary translations of religious icon painting. A more gestural mark-making procedure related to portraiture has been examined in panel 2. This has equipped the candidate to develop later works that include appropriated imagery in more constructed compositions in panel 3. This shift in the spatial register of the work has enabled the synthesizing of a more complex array of subject matter as the development of work proceeds. Overall, this submission which was awarded an Outstanding Scholarship is notable for the means by which this candidate is able to productively deploy conventions of style and genre drawn from historic and contemporary referents. Ultimately, the submission explores the capacity of imagery to carry more personal/individual narrative content that reflects the candidate’s own observations and understandings.

14. Scholarship This Scholarship submission shows evidence of highly considered graphic possibilities, which have been identified on the drawings on panel one that investigate illusionistic space based on architecture in the urban environment. Pictorial information has been extracted in a logical and sophisticated manner, and the spatial concerns thoughtfully played out in a body of work where each decision informs the choice of subsequent imagery. Appropriate pictorial concerns, in terms of the use of paint media and awareness of compositional devices, are constantly evident and the submission demonstrates a high level of execution. The accompanying workbook has been used as a drawing tool for investigation as well as a contextual resource. Sources for imagery and an understanding of artistic precedent are used to inform and promote the development of practical work. A number of 3-dimensional models are made as a way of re-configuring the 2-dimensional spatial concerns consistent with the candidate’s interests. The use of colour has been thoughtfully considered and varied in subtle shifts throughout the images on the portfolio. As with the compositional referents, colour has been extracted from source material (photographs etc), and knowledge of historical precedent within Abstract and Constructivist practice is evident. The portfolio builds through the three panels and the final works on panel 3 open up new possibilities and court fresh opportunity. The idea of taking architecturally inspired abstraction back into the representational space of an interior has been achieved with skill and intelligence. The strength of the portfolio is its acute and intelligent understanding of formal and abstract concerns. The practical development of work across the 3 panels keep the visual concerns open to reinterpretation and the risk of being repetitive is avoided by allowing new and unexpected pictorial arrangements to happen. While the subtle manipulation of colour contrasts is an obvious strength, the portfolio consistently challenges itself with understated colour arrangements. The delicate play between graphic linear planes is also apparent. The images play through a variety of ‘line’ types, pattern and open space with considerable skill. The workbook has been used in a manner that not only allows the candidate to evaluate decisions made in the process of composing individual works, but also as an investigative tool in it-self. The synergy between workbook and portfolio is complete and demonstrates excellent studentship in terms of understanding the programme and the individual project undertaken.