My painting practice explores the material qualities of archival analogue photography in the context of painting. The camera has played a significant role in the documentation and preservation of everyday domestic narratives.
The starting point of each of my paintings is therefore in found photographs which are characterised by overexposure, monochrome, fading and photographic grain: a visual language which evokes feelings of both nostalgia and distance. Together with accompanying text, they form an incomplete jigsaw of information demonstrating the importance of fragmented visual records in the shaping of memory.
My approach to painting is closely informed by observing photographic materiality which I translate to traditional painting techniques. For example, I repurpose grisaille underpainting and limited colour palettes (such as Burnt Umbre, Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White) to denote the limitations of black and white, and sepia film photography. Additionally, I use short unblended brush strokes, to emulate the soft, dappled grain and nostalgic blur of source photographs. I also consider the surface quality of my paintings, choosing to paint on wooden board rather than canvas to achieve a smoother, less textural finish, while using contrasting varnishes to emphasise the differing surface qualities between the front and back of the photograph
Behind the scenes in my studio space.
I am interested in the tension between photographer and artist; object and representation. This invites an open-ended conversation between the intentions of the photographer, its significance to its current owner, my response as the artist and finally the gallery audience’s interpretation. The initially-intended subject is not always what captures the attention of the viewer years later. This concept is described by Roland Barthes in Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography as ‘punctum’: small, unexpected details within the imagery which provoke unique, personal responses. Through cropping and unusual compositions, I attempt to provoke punctum by foregrounding personally significant details within either the photograph or its accompanying handwriting.
My Degree Show exhibition presents three categories of old family photographs in my ‘Archiva’ series – Archivum I, II, III. This systemised approach reflects the way in which these physical images are grouped, labelled, stored, and cyclically revisited. These three categories vary in scale and quantity, reflecting the inconsistencies of photographic record and personal significance. They consist of four vertical crops, a large triptych, and a series of much smaller diptychs responding equally to the front and back of each photograph.
This work considers how images move between object, memory, record, and interpretation.
Instagram: @phoebe.macdonald.art
Website: www.phoebemacdonaldart.com
Email: contact@phoebemacdonaldart.com
