I Got A Commission!

Hurrah! This doesn’t happen often. The moot community has paid me some money to paint an icon for their use.

I’m really looking forward to doing it actually. It takes a lot to get a commission right. Enjoying doing it is key. There’s nothing worse than doing a commission that becomes a drudge or an obligation.

Its also important to have a clear idea as to how the commission will work out. Rublev’s icon of the trinity (pictured) has a long history with emerging church groups, and especially many of the mooters, so it seems only right to do something based on this icon, as a trinitarian understanding of spirituality is so important to this group.

I have an idea to make the “Father” figure a black man, as this is important for moot – we live in a city that has had a spate of shootings recently, and many are suggesting that the absence of father-figures in the lives of black families is a contributory factor. So I want to paint a positive role model of the black father, also to show inclusivity and acceptance.

The Holy Spirit figure will be a woman, as its known that the Holy Spirit is in some way a representation of the feminine side of God. I want this icon generally to reflect the inclusive nature of the community, and of God.

Problems: The image only has 3 figures in it, which limits how you can show inclusivity.

The inclusion of the black father figure could be a statement about the absence of God, which could be two-edged – it can be seen negatively as well as positively.

The use of a woman for the Holy Spirit could also be seen to be reinforcing negative stereotypes about women, though (quiet and hidden, there to support men, etc.).

You have to think about these things – If you get it wrong, it can be an albatross both for you as the artist, and for the client. (Think Graham Sutherland – Winston Churchill)

Its a bit of a minefield really, but whatever I end up doing, I think I’m going to stick with Rublev.

technorati tags:michael l radcliffe, mike radcliffe, painting, art, contemporary art, commission, rublev, trinity, moot

It’s getting worse…

The photo I showed you of my “sliding painting” the other day has got worse – it’s starting to ripple all over.

Whilst this is ok up to a point and has given me some other ideas, I am going to need some flat area to paint on, or I’ll have to start again – which will then be my THIRD attempt to get this bloody thing finished.

technorati tags:art, artbizness, painting, Radcliffe, Michael L Radcliffe, Mike Radcliffe, contemporary art, work-in-progress

Now this is just spooky…

The darnedest thing happened when I was working on this painting….

I’m not that keen on the idea of art as therapy, or art as self-expression. I don’t think these concepts make for good work, and I think that the artists who espouse those ideas are being thoroughly disingenuous.

When it comes to making work, I have a different  approach – I tend to allow things to present themselves to me. As a consequence, the work that gets made is often far better than anything that I would want to make.

Anyway, I had just finished painting the carpenters square for the second time for St. Thomas (trying to find the composition). I stepped back from the drawing board and looked at the image and this weird sense of “presence” happened. Both from the painting, around me, between us and in the room.

I’m not sure that I’ve described what happened very accurately. That’s the best way I can really explain it, though.

You can’t always explain experiences like that, and sometimes you shouldn’t try.

So I won’t.

technorati tags:art, artbizness, Michael L Radcliffe, Mike Radcliffe, contemporary art, graph paper, work-in-progress, st thomas, saint thomas, experience, presence

Damien Hirst’s New Religion

If you’re not doing anything in London, UK, there’s an exhibition of works by Damien Hirst that is worth checking out.

The show is called “New Religion”, and can be seen at All-Hallows-On-The-Wall Church in the city of London until April 4th. The priest at All-Hallows-On-The-Wall is the Rvd. Garth Hewitt who I know quite well, and the show has been organised by a friend of mine.

Its a great show and a bit of a coup for them. Apparently after they’d hung it, Damien liked the show so much that he created a brand new triptych especially.

I noticed with a certain amount of chagrin that Damien has done a series of works on paper of the apostles, which is exactly what I’m doing at the moment.

Ah well. Mine will just have to be better.

technorati tags:art, artbizness, Michael L Radcliffe, Mike Radcliffe, contemporary art, Damien Hirst, All-Hallows-On-The-Wall, wallspace, New Religion, london, uk

Square Tom

First attempt at St. Thomas.

This is going to be quite tricky, as the elements are so simple (two straight lines at a right angle) that you have to be really careful to get it right.

You have to keep trying until it falls into the right place, and you have to watch carefully so that when it finally does fall into the right place, you don’t carry on and paint all over it.

technorati tags:art, artbizness, Michael L Radcliffe, Mike Radcliffe, contemporary art, graph paper, work-in-progress, st thomas, saint thomas, Radcliffe, thomas

The Perfect Screw

After much trial and error, I’ve finally got the screw exactly how I want it. Now I just have to make each screw as good as the last, 30 times over.

I wonder how much more innuendo I can fit into one blog post…

Watch the stats rise…..

Sorry I haven’t been here for a while by the way. Have been busy painting.. more to follow

technorati tags:art, artbizness, screws, screw, Michael L Radcliffe, Mike Radcliffe, contemporary art, graph paper, judas iscariot, work-in-progress, silver leaf, painting

Sliding Paint

Flickr: Photos from Mike6

I’ve made up this wooden board by pouring black household gloss paint onto it, but its been lying flat in the middle of the room drying off for a long time. Its also been getting in the way.

I thought that it would be ok to stand it up ready to paint, considering that I did it 2 months ago. However, it has sunk on one corner. I might have poured it too thickly, hence the little problem.

Though actually, I quite like it, and it might work with what I want to paint.

We’ll see.

technorati tags:art, artbizness, painting, Michael L Radcliffe, Mike Radcliffe, contemporary art, work-in-progress

Two screws

Flickr: Photos from Mike6

So I did a couple of screws today – properly. With silver leaf and everything. They’re quite hard to photograph, as the flash goes off, and just reflects from the silver leaf.

The screws are ok as they go so far, but they don’t look quite as good as the one I painted yesterday, and it was only when I uploaded this photo that I realised why – the previous one had a little glimpse of the bugle shaped part at the top of the thread. These ones just look like bizarre screw/nail hybrids.

Still – just another 28 to go. By the time I get to the last one, I’ll probably be getting it about right.

And then I’ll have to go back and start again and do them all properly. I think this one is going to drive me properly mad. I wish I’d start St. Thomas now – it’ll be just a square.

technorati tags:art, artbizness, screws, Michael L Radcliffe, Mike Radcliffe, contemporary art, graph paper, judas iscariot, work-in-progress, silver leaf