Interview by Susan Tebbutt
Image: ‘You Choose What You Reflect’ 79.5 x 60cm oil on canvas 2007. See more of Emily’s work here>
Born in Portsmouth, Emily studied for a BA in Fine Art at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth 2004-07, was included in the Welsh Portrait Award in 2006, and focussed in her final year on photographic portrait painting. Very influenced by the Classical tradition, she was interested in the ‘memento mori’, the reminder of mortality.
The 2007 exhibition ‘Art and Modern Life’ at the Hayward Gallery gave her work a new direction. Struck by Franz Gertsch and the way he captured the spirit of the 1970s, Emily wanted to do an up-to-date version, contemporary from start to finish, using contemporary methods.
So she set up a group on Facebook, ‘Facebook generation’, and asked people to send images of themselves on a night out.
She then chose ambiguous images, where you can’t necessarily see the faces, but which are like a portrait of this specific age group. For copyright reasons Emily always gains the photographer’s permission to use a photo. Her paintings are then put online.
Her first works were rather tentative and on a small scale, but she soon realised that the concept worked better when the images were larger.
How do you do the paintings?
‘First I make a grid, transfer that onto the canvas square by square, then paint the images in oil. I stick rigidly to the images in the photos – they’re chosen for their compositional qualities – so the paintings are pretty much the same as the photos.’
Feedback?
‘Very positive. One girl found an image online on my Facebook group of herself dancing, and loved it.’
Would you describe yourself as a portrait painter?
‘Not in the traditional sense. I prefer not to be under pressure to do something I don’t want to do: the idea of trying to ‘explore the inner psyche’ seems quite tired. I find what I’m doing much more exciting: it’s fresh territory. The photographs feel un-posed because people aren’t looking at the camera, and it doesn’t matter if my work’s exactly like the person – it’s quite liberating.’
Which audience are you targeting?
‘The works are not aimed at an ordinary domestic setting. Maybe collectors or dealers.’
Plans?
‘I’m hoping to get up to 15 works in the Facebook Generation series. My aim is to capture the mood of the moment. I’ll then make a CD to send to galleries and hope to have a solo exhibition in a contemporary gallery with a lot of white space.
Facebook has had quite a lot of negative press, but I think my works are quite neutral in my description of what’s going on. To my surprise the general feeling was optimism and happiness and people wanting to fit in and enjoy themselves. My paintings are neither a celebration nor a criticism – they are a commentary.’
But perhaps they are a form of ‘memento mori’? …
See more of Emily’s work here>
