Enzo Marra MA Interview
(cont.)
Profile
Biography
Gallery
Copyright of images belongs to the Artist.
Copyright of interview belongs to Ovenden
Contemporary (Art Promotions) Limited. Any
un-authorised use is strictly prohibited. All
rights are reserved.
(c) 2006 Ovenden Contemporary (Art Promotions)
Limited
"I
can see development within my works as I look
back over the previous years or even months of
labour, but I wouldn't say I experiment. I have
found a way of working that fits me like a glove
and wherever it leads me I am very happy to
follow."
continued.....
OC: You mentioned about learning perspective. You
often take quite an unusual perspective, viewing
your subject almost 'secretively'. What drives
you to select a particular perspective? What are
you aiming for with each
perspective?
EM: With having a secretively viewed perspective on my chosen subjects, I am attempting to reveal the true character which is usually hidden, the raw person behind the mask.
OC: So you don't like the traditional pose?
EM: If you were to get someone to smile at you as you recorded their expression, it wouldn't reveal anything, it wouldn't express anything, it would merely be a rather bland patch of paint. To capture the fully rounded person is more than an act of flattery, aging parts flattened slightly, removing the whole purpose of having them sat infront of you.
OC: So what is the purpose of them sitting in front of you?
EM: Truth is what I am aiming for, the type of reality only an artist can bring about,whether it be via paint as I do, or by sculptural, cinematic, photographic or conceptual means.
OC: So the sense of voyeurism is completely intentional. But how can you be sure that truth is what you are achieving? You can only paint your own unique perspective after all.
EM:Truth is an interesting quality to attempt to capture, if I were to execute a certain scene, my record of it would be a totally different experience than any other artists response. So I can only view the concept of truth as being true to myself, and not being afraid of pushing the image where it needs to be.
EM: With having a secretively viewed perspective on my chosen subjects, I am attempting to reveal the true character which is usually hidden, the raw person behind the mask.
OC: So you don't like the traditional pose?
EM: If you were to get someone to smile at you as you recorded their expression, it wouldn't reveal anything, it wouldn't express anything, it would merely be a rather bland patch of paint. To capture the fully rounded person is more than an act of flattery, aging parts flattened slightly, removing the whole purpose of having them sat infront of you.
OC: So what is the purpose of them sitting in front of you?
EM: Truth is what I am aiming for, the type of reality only an artist can bring about,whether it be via paint as I do, or by sculptural, cinematic, photographic or conceptual means.
OC: So the sense of voyeurism is completely intentional. But how can you be sure that truth is what you are achieving? You can only paint your own unique perspective after all.
EM:Truth is an interesting quality to attempt to capture, if I were to execute a certain scene, my record of it would be a totally different experience than any other artists response. So I can only view the concept of truth as being true to myself, and not being afraid of pushing the image where it needs to be.
OC: How do you know where an image needs to be
'pushed'? Is there some
intrinsic skill in Artists that gives them an aesthetic understanding devoid in most others? Is that something you can be taught?
EM: If an image isn't 'speaking' or exerting enough presence, then it really needs to be pushed to that next level. You have to go beyond the merely illustrative, and give the medium utilised a voice that can be perceived by onlookers. I would have to say it is more of an instinct than a skill, something that can be accentuated by experience and recalled disasters, so it can be pointed out, but not taught in a
conventional sense.
OC: Are there any other instincts that you possess, or rely on, to assist you in the process of your painting?
EM: I think the one feature that is continuous in my working practice, is the image of the previous, hopefully successful, work which will float in your brain, forcing you to excell in what you are currently caught in, as you can only judge yourself on the present and not the past. I will have to reuse one of the words from your question, instinct, the concept of an instinct is an unusual thing to set down in concrete. It
can jump out at any moment and decide for you that a piece has failed, or is following the right direction, or is already there and can be laid to rest. The process of every painting is inherantly different, whether they may be executed in the same type of style and at the same scale, you have no idea what could occur until you are lost in the journey, and of course they don't have maps for such types of journeys.
I wish they did!
OC: You have indicated that you are unlikely to experiment with the medium that you use. Can you elaborate on that?
EM: I have a instinctive 'alla prima' way of painting, which therefore means certain ways of working would surely drive me insane. Waiting for layers of thinned pigment to dry would take away the whole interactive way I deal with the process of painting. It's as if it were clay or malliable in that type of manner. I like it to have some form of physical presence as well as in hue and tonality. This can be both a delight and a hard path to follow, sometimes automatic, but usually more of a tussle over canvas until everything is where it justly should be. I can see development within my works as I look back over the previous years or even months of labour, but I wouldn't say I experiment, I have found a way of working that fits me like a glove and wherever it leads me I am very happy to follow.
intrinsic skill in Artists that gives them an aesthetic understanding devoid in most others? Is that something you can be taught?
EM: If an image isn't 'speaking' or exerting enough presence, then it really needs to be pushed to that next level. You have to go beyond the merely illustrative, and give the medium utilised a voice that can be perceived by onlookers. I would have to say it is more of an instinct than a skill, something that can be accentuated by experience and recalled disasters, so it can be pointed out, but not taught in a
conventional sense.
OC: Are there any other instincts that you possess, or rely on, to assist you in the process of your painting?
EM: I think the one feature that is continuous in my working practice, is the image of the previous, hopefully successful, work which will float in your brain, forcing you to excell in what you are currently caught in, as you can only judge yourself on the present and not the past. I will have to reuse one of the words from your question, instinct, the concept of an instinct is an unusual thing to set down in concrete. It
can jump out at any moment and decide for you that a piece has failed, or is following the right direction, or is already there and can be laid to rest. The process of every painting is inherantly different, whether they may be executed in the same type of style and at the same scale, you have no idea what could occur until you are lost in the journey, and of course they don't have maps for such types of journeys.
I wish they did!
OC: You have indicated that you are unlikely to experiment with the medium that you use. Can you elaborate on that?
EM: I have a instinctive 'alla prima' way of painting, which therefore means certain ways of working would surely drive me insane. Waiting for layers of thinned pigment to dry would take away the whole interactive way I deal with the process of painting. It's as if it were clay or malliable in that type of manner. I like it to have some form of physical presence as well as in hue and tonality. This can be both a delight and a hard path to follow, sometimes automatic, but usually more of a tussle over canvas until everything is where it justly should be. I can see development within my works as I look back over the previous years or even months of labour, but I wouldn't say I experiment, I have found a way of working that fits me like a glove and wherever it leads me I am very happy to follow.