Saturday, 22 November 2014

Gravity Week 1 - Dawn Mellor

Lecture Notes:

Held exhibitions nationally and internationally.
BA, Central St. Martins - MA, Royal College.
Intensity of work and studio practice.
Regularly featured/ mentioned in online discussion
Began presentation with a series of her childhood art (13 - 16yrs)
   - Heavily featured Michael Jackson and other male celebrities
   - Lack of black presence in pop culture at the time, racist culture - no understanding of context and                   or why this was occurred.

Trying to understand the culture and how racism is raised within people and children from a young age - people articulate racism from around the age of 13, racist terms, slang etc.

Contextual Information:
   - Racial tension within society
   - Economic crisis at the time
Portraits were an attempt rot understand the situation. 'Drawing full of naivety', 'Obsession with American celebrity.'
Recognised and understood there was a relationship between economic position and cultural understanding.

Portraits of celebrity Actresses
   - Celebrity 'Troll culture'
   - Offensive
   - Censoring out of 'ugly women'
   - Sense of being closed down - forced into target markets (clashes of personalities with gallerists)
   - Displayed work featuring Dame Helen Mirren in a Southend Library (Mirren had previously made controversial remarks about Southend - irony of 'bringing her back to Southend.)
   - Satirical comedic element of bringing her back to Southend
   - Library display, 'worst place to display work' - public connection
   - How we build a relationship with were we are born/ brought up.
   - e.g. Known as 'Queen' after playing a role as Queen Elizabeth.
   - Exploited class positioning when it suited the occasion; 'Down to Earth, Southend girl', Aristocratic Russian descendant who emigrated to Southend.
   - Narratives of exploitation of Actors/ Actresses.

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