Considering a Portrait

Gallery 11:11 recently exhibited the work of Edward Jack Humphrey. The body of work titled ‘Your Sensations’ was well received and generated many interesting discussions. Edward, having exhibited at The Art Gallery of New South Wales in the 2020 Archibald prize, was no stranger to answering questions regarding his work, in fact he was extremely generous with sharing his process and his technique ‘Reapplism’.

Reapplism (Re-app-lism) is a practical term which appreciates creative individuality, freedom and collaborative frameworks. Reapplism encourages a creative thinker to choose three key elements in their reference or imagine them and approach them in any way they desire.

edwardjackhumphrey.com

i’m delighted to announce that Edward will be running two workshops at Gallery 11:11. Whilst our workshop facilitators cannot teach to a level that they have achieved over hundreds and even thousands of hours in the studio, they aim to provide participants with strategies for success, introducing studio processes based on building specific skills . CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER WORKSHOP DETAILS

On another note, when we think of commissioned portraits, we generally think of famous or notable subjects such as the Mona Lisa or Kings or Queens of centuries past, though I have recently come to realise that commissioning an Artist to paint a portrait of a loved one, especially with a contemporary and fresh approach, would be something which would be cherished for generations.

Edward has an ability to capture the essence of his subject, bringing his unique style, technique, and interpretation to the project. Artist’s have many ways of connecting to their subjects, specifically, Edward chooses to meet with the individual and take a series of photos that he then translates into a portrait. Examples of such artworks can be found HERE.

Overall, commissioning an artist to paint a portrait offers a unique opportunity to have a personalised, meaningful, and timeless piece of art that reflects ones individuality.

Whether choosing to commission a portrait or working toward creating one, both are exciting ideas to consider. The choice of being the student or subject though confronting in many ways would be no doubt rewarding.

Food for thought…