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Paint Club: Painting as a Document

In April I was lucky enough to co-chair a panel discussion at Tate Britain between Barry Schwabsky, critic and writer and Claire Woods, artist based in Herefordshire. This panel was part of a series of talks and discussions aimed at opening up debate on the relationship between contemporary painters and Tate Britain’s collection. The focus was the ways in which paintings of the past can both ‘haunt’ a practice or function somewhat like a complex document. The idea for the events germinated from the research group I am involved with at University of the Arts London called ‘Paint Club’.
Both myself and artist/researcher Alison Goodyear were set the task of co-chairing the ‘Painting as a Document’ event. Our remit was to choose any artist and writer, asking them to discuss their relationship to a painting in Tate Britain’s collection. I have been very fond of Barry’s writing for a while now especially his essays for the well known ‘Vitamin P’ books as well as a catalogue essay he wrote for Ellen Altfest (not to mention his reviews for ‘The Nation’). Claire’s work has always been both in my own and Alison’s ‘painter’s conscience’. Her work has been shown in many fantastic shows across the country including The Dark Matter, Southampton City Art Gallery (2012) and The Unquiet Head, The Hepworth Wakefield (2011). What we didn’t know initially in bringing this pair together was that they had previously worked closely together (Barry wrote the catalogue essay for Claire’s show Deaf Man’s House at The Chisenhale Gallery in London (2006). We realised this would be an exciting opportunity to bring both artist and writer together again whilst comparing their thoughts on each other’s selection from Tate Britains ‘New hang’. What we discovered, as you will see from the video below, were some surprising reactions to the pieces of work including some ‘elephants in the room’ regarding interesting feminist readings of the selected artworks.

What we never anticipated were the paintings that both Barry and Claire selected. Barry chose Théodore Roussell’s The Reading Girl, 1886-7. On the other end of the ‘painting spectrum’ Claire chose Francis Bacon’s Study for a Portrait, 1952. Both, as I am sure you will agree, are completely at odds with one another in terms of their subject as well as ways in which they were painted. As chairs, this was an exciting opportunity to think about where our panellists were coming from with their selection. It was also exciting to debate the differences between both paintings in terms of how they did or did not relate to the title of the discussion ‘Painting as a Document’. This was crucial; to think about ways in which both these paintings might or might not function as a document. If we were to consider them as a ‘document’, like some form of historical or anthropological source, would we be ignoring some of the other things painting might ‘record’? As chairs we were mindful of not taking the ‘lens’ in which we examined these paintings for granted. Our aim was to examine the basis for their choice and see whether, in thinking of a painting as a document, we would be ignoring something of the materiality, making and physical presence of a painting. As artists whose PhD’s, in part, examine both the making and meaning(s) of paintings we had an agenda to interweave into the debate too.
To finish, here’s something to think about while you watch this video in relation to your own practice; which painting would you choose in Tate Britain’s new hang? How would you talk about it, as a form of document? If yes, then what type of document? If not then why not? Time adds many layers of meaning to a painting’s potential meaning and it is something worth considering as we build our own catalogue of influences from various national collections of art.


Posted by author: Donal Moloney

One thought on “Paint Club: Painting as a Document

  • Donal, My name is Aine O’Keeffe and I am a painter living on the South Atlantic Island of St. Helena. It is the most remote place on earth and takes a week by Royal Mail Ship to get here from Capetown, South Africa. I graduated from Crawford in 1990, it was National Diploma back then…no degree available, but I achieved Distinction. I am interested in the OCA MA in Fine Art and I am very interested in developing my Art practice despite my remote location. The link to you on the OCA page did not work so I hope this reaches you. My email is aineokeeffeisland@gmail.com

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