FAUX Aims

I plan to create an imitation series of digital paintings shot within a man-made classical

interior.

I intend to make work which demonstrates the possibilities of using digital media to

replicate the aesthetic impact of paintings and their typical display setting in the classical

era.

I hope to produce work which celebrates the eclecticism of highly regarded British art

collections, and by applying pictorial mimicry to photography, satirically elevate my

family into the aristocratic upper class. By looking at the techniques of master painters

and digitally mimicking the formalism and generic subject matter rather than necessarily

the composition I hope to create digital images, with fantastic ecclesiastical feel and

ethereal painting quality. I hope to question the media used and also the authenticity of

the subject matter merging romanticism and reality rather than realism and

acknowledging the irony in transforming something completely modern into that of a past

era.

I will go beyond the individual imagery and look at the environments where we

commonly associate and view these works, most often stately homes or classical

galleries. As my project is titled FAUX I will study the techniques of faux interior

decorative finishes and build an installation setting to hang the work replicating a setting

with such visual impact as a 19th

century British aristocratic home or classical gallery

such as the Uffizi. From this setting I will produce a series of exhibition standard, interior

shots giving the illusion of the work placed within a classical architectural context. The

‘digital paintings’ will then be re-shot on location.

I will question elitism in a slightly kitsch, sardonic but blithe, pleasant way. And pay

homage to methods used to idolize individuals through iconology.

Visual illustrations

Work presented within the interior of Ditchly house, Digital painting – Own work, sorry

not too many variations yet.

The Paintings of Johann Zoffany are an excellent visual illustration of the desired final

content. They capture both the exclusivity and visual clutter of the interiors that inspire

my work.

Johann Zoffany – Tribuna

In Zoffany’s work the gentry are included alongside the classic art (that which was

deemed to be most highly esteemed) in doing so it could be argued he created the perfect

reflection on success as by including oneself within classicism one automatically became

of intrinsic worth.

Obje c t i v e s

To create a body of work in various forms of presentation which have the potential for

exhibition beyond the MA.

To produce art which not only engages academia through conceptual interest but also

through the creation of compelling imagery.

Using photography and the options that digital photographic editing can bring to the

modern image; manipulate atmosphere, texture, detail, colour and drama in my imagery.

To study the evolution of art and the necessity or place of the painted image in the art

world and question whether one can produce an equally compelling image through digital

media.

By utilizing the eclectic nature of valued British art collections recognize and appreciate

the technical abilities and style of the highly valued painters who comprise European Art

History and acknowledge their influence on contemporary art practices.

To explore the relationship between art and it’s value through historical ownership and

style of display.

Rati ona l

Background

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about my art and passions, having found it surprisingly

difficult to settle into the course and finding the “thing” that really clicks. I’ve doubted

my limited experience with creative digital technology, which was originally learnt to

replicate landscapes of historical scenarios, and pondered the authenticity newness or

originality in the conceptualizing of my work. Perhaps this is a result of having been

away from a creative, artistic peer group and also my own culture for the last 6 years.

However, luckily I was recently kick started when commissioned to paint a series of

paintings on canvas for a contemporary interior, replicas of natural stone, a fashion

currently reemployed by many modern interior designers.

Faux Marble painting 4/5ft. Own Work.

The pa in t ed i l l u s i on

My research for this project led me to the history of artists who first used these

illusionary techniques.

In short, the first examples of faux marble can be found on Mycenaean pottery dating

back 4,000 years. During the Renaissance the ability to render realistic stone finishes rose

to the levels of high art – it was lighter than stone and less expensive. It was respected

and regarded as challenging to paint something so realistic that it was difficult to

distinguish it from the real thing. The French later used artists to create illusions of space,

natural environments and grand architectural structures. They call this Trompe L’oeil

(Full the eye). Oblique anamorphosis, commonly seen in fresco, is closely related to

Trompe l’oeil, however demanded an irregular viewing position as opposed to more

conventional perspective.

Trompe l’oeil, Baldassare Peruzzi, "Sala delle Prospettive," fresco, c. 1515, Villa Farnesina,

Romeeries.

Artists in the early renaissance applied glazes of yellow-oil and varnish to simulate Gold

- faux value. Techniques of glazing were also employed as a deceptive tool to age the

appearance of furnishings ‘antiquing’ and luxurious oil glazed wood finishes were

substitutes for unattainable, expensive materials.

The painting methods of the great faux artists became an integrated part of an overall

interior, as you can see in the, St. Florian Monastery, Linz, Austria where the ceiling has

a figurative scene and faux stone finishes are applied to the columns to give the viewer

the impression of marble.

Jakob Prandtauer and Antonio Carlone, St. Florian Monastery, Linz, Austria

Columns of faux marble

The idea that people choose to fake that which they cannot really have and give the

impression of a style associated with wealth and luxuries fascinated me and I considered

it a subject to expand on. The construction of a faux interior is already an essential part

of the creative arts such as film and theater but I am particularly interested in the type of

classical interior that originally adopted the illusionary techniques above. These were

places of religion, power, affluence and social stature. I realized then that I had come full

circle as another prominent connection to these environments is great classical art.

This painting project has therefore taken me comfortably back to one of my passions and

my inherent love of old master paintings and a respect for those who can and a personal

desire to be able to produce imagery of that quality.

The impac t o f t h e c l a s s i ca l i n t e r i o r a s a p l a t f o r m f o r ar t .

As a child my parents regularly took my brother and I on day trips to Stately homes and

National Trust listed buildings. I have strong memories of being in awe of the poignant

dominant images that one had to literally stand and look up to. Not to mention the scale

of the work and the interiors. The psychological impact of, tiptoeing around behind red

cord barriers surrounded by antiquities and ornate furnishings, has clearly made a lasting

impression. Yet there is an odd voyeurism to walking around these homes – many of

which are still partially inhabited by their inheritance. I remember trying to imagine the

people in the portraits as if they would be larger than life themselves.

In addition to this and also importantly in the bigger picture, I was 14 when my parents

first took my brother and I abroad. We went to Florence to see the Uffizi Gallery. The

stimuli of the crowded walls and the elaborate gold frames was overwhelming. The shear

volume of information was almost unintelligible and yet eerily chilling, as I knew from

my parents’ infectious enthusiasm what I was looking at was precious and an invaluable

experience.

(Above) Giovanni Paolo Panini, The Picture Gallery of Cardinal Silvio Valenti Gonzaga, 1749,

oil on canvas, 78 x 105.5 inches

As a result, I hope to create work, which emulates the extraordinary scale and presence of

such environments. And to use Trompe l’oeil in order to have the glitz and glamour of

gold leaf and antiquing, wood and stone decorative finishes.

Digital Landscape – depicting the original scene in a painted wall mural at the Royal Palace,

Phnom Penh. Cambodia – used here as an example of gilt framing.

M imicr y in Fine Ar t

Who said copying was wrong?

Mimicry has always had a place within European Art. Throughout history artists have

echoed the compositional elements of other great works the most obvious of these are

The Three Graces, countless works have been made to represent the notion of beauty,

charm and joy.

The Three Graces

In order, ‘Primavera’ Sandro Botticelli, Antonio Canova’s statue The Three Graces, The Three

Graces, Antonio Román, Europe Supported by Africa and America, circa 1796, William Blake.

The Last Supper

The Last Supper Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519, An Italian clothing advertisement, Israeli

photographer Adi Nes

In contemporary art, artists such as Eve Sussman, Ken Gonzales-Day, Yinka Shonibare

and Cindy Sherman have used similar conceptual tools of borrowing to support their

practice and applied the principles to photography, and Film.

Eve Sussman's 89 Seconds at Alcazar is a short film which brings to life Diego Velázquez's 1656

painting Las Meninas.

Ken Gonzales-Day; Untitled #33 From the Museum of Broken Identities (After Goya's Black

Paintings) C-print from digital negative 40" X 30", 1996. Untitled #35 From the Museum of

Broken Identities (After Goya's Black Paintings) C-print from digital negative 30" X 36", 1996

Yinka Shonibare, "Diary of a Victorian Dandy" was a collision of performance and photography

reflecting the nation's popular taste for the period costume drama and nostalgia for a utopian past

at the heart of 'little' England.

Portrait of a Young Woman (La fornarina), Raphael, 1518-1519 Cindy Sherman works in series, typically photographing herself in a range of costumes.

To mirror interior ‘faux finish’ techniques I hope to demonstrate the same concepts

through digital technology but apply it to modern photography, resulting in (neo)

classical painterly qualities. The techniques and the process itself of layering and glazing,

copying textures, hues and marks, I realized, could well be transferred into the digital

environment.

Digital Painting, Self-portrait – Work In Progress.

Pic to r i a l c on t en t .

Collections

The beauty in mimicking stately home or gallery collections is the diversity in pictorial

style, content and artistic influence. This would be both interesting from a research

perspective and technically challenging.

Oil painting itself was and still is a very successful form of illusion, it’s viscosity and

tonal qualities allow artists to create a 2D version of life involving both atmosphere and

depth.

Oil paintings owned by the wealthy were more than just decorative; they were a

commodity within themselves and in turn a measure of success.

There is also a questionable entity within art collections as to which works are excellent

and which are of poorer quality. These painting are usually shown side by side. Works

now, seem to be valued by historical placement, and are quite unconcerned with that of

original artistic merit.

The generic aristocrat’s painting collection often comprised ‘Genre’ painting, the

classics, landscape; architectural studies, livestock, still life and portraiture of noble men,

people in power, family members.

To summarize each group I plan to exploit; Paintings had a hierarchical system in value.

The Classics, the most valued, that showing Greek or Mythological figures showed an

intelligence or worldliness of the owner, if one was painted alongside such figurines then

one had truly reached an idealized self image. Landscape; standing buildings, showed

property and therefore achievement in real estate. Livestock likewise again depicted

value through agriculture; still lifes were a mirror image of ones possessions. The lowest

category was a Genre painting, that which depicted the “lower standards of living”. In

acquiring these cheaper paintings a moneyed person would have virtue and show hope

for the world.

Portraiture was a definitive self-indulgence. To have oneself painted, in essence was to

have one’s mark permanently made. Portraiture often dominates collections and I expect

will play a large part in my project.

Portraiture continued

The slip side to the grandeur of classical portraiture is that it was both elitist and yet often

inwardly humble as the artists often had to rely on such commissions to make a living.

Something that has not necessarily changed. Painted portraiture was reserved to those in

power as a mark of family social positioning or monitory success. I considered the

duality is using present day cultural icons as my subject matter as little has changed in the

way we idolize faces.

In current times, portraits of CEOs can be seen in the boardrooms of successful

companies. In Asia portraits are used to depict power and are often of the current leaders;

Vietnamese propaganda, the heads of the Thai Royal family decorate Thailand, the

Malaysian King and Queen have their portrait in most shops and public buildings, the

prime minister is even seen on the back of buses. The head of the British Queen, as other

countries dignitaries are of course seen on all money of course an incredible international

power-base. What I’m trying to say therefore is that the head has become more than just a

simple image but has become and will remain to be a symbolic presence of power and

authority.

Every day the faces of the successful, the bold and the beautiful are projected through the

media. These images are also often altered to make them appear more appealing. We talk

about the face of Estee lauder and numerous branded products. We often get to see David

Beckham associating himself with a commercial endeavor, however it is not their beliefs

or voices that have clout, just their faces.

Hiroshi Sugimoto, 1999. Gelatin-silver print, edition of five, 149.2 x 119.4 cm.

This portrait of Yasser Arafat and Henry VIII is part of a project that featured monumental

photographs of celebrities and historical figures. The photographs however are of wax figures at

Madame Tussaud’s.

This is also a weighted angle to the work that may lead to other avenues in the future.

Perhaps to gain artistic recognition one should therefore become the face of ones own

work too. Cindy Sherman is a successful example of this.

The r o l e o f ph o t og r aphy

As Photography will play a significant role in this project, I will use a combination of

existing imagery and deliberately posed shots. Photography will be used as a tool for the

digital painting as well as to record the final scenes.

I thought therefore it would be of great value to look at Roger Fenton for stylistic and

compositional inspiration. Fenton as a photographer studied many of the same subjects,

probably, naturally due to the cultural fashions of the era. He photographed the Royal

family, Stately homes from both a landscape and interior perspective as well as still life.

It will be essential to look at his and other photographers in order to generate convincing

period images.

Roger Fenton

Roger Fenton

Self-Portrait, February 1852

Albumen silver print from glass negative

Roger Fenton

Tankard and Fruit, 1860

Albumen silver print from glass negative

Princesses Helena and Louise, 1856

Salted paper print

Photography, Film & TRoger Fenton

Valley of the Shadow of Death, 1855

Salted paper print from glass negative

Conc lu s i on

Although, It would be most interesting to work with present day icons such as politicians

and stars to emphasize the cultural change in power and success, to use my own life as a

canvas would be a solid basis from which to create my collection and would be ever so

slightly more indulgent. To visually propel myself onto the platform of upper class

historical significance would not only be satirical but would practically allow me to

utilize imagery I already possess. The imagery from my life abroad, if appropriate, could

become the landscape element and Family albums the basis from which to compose the

portraiture. It would also be a more available option and I hope would question the

authenticity of the final product as well as material value and status.

It is also a little romantic.

Finally, this project also pays homage to the rather bizarre situation that my partner Neil

and I find ourselves in here in Malaysia. Living in a gated community where guards wave

as you enter and leave and where we live in an apartment that we could only dream of

visiting if we lived within our homeland. Thus our status has been shifted through

chance and international political ranking.

The idea of reality is somewhat gray. One of my colleagues likes to remind that our

lifestyle here is “not real” something, which I understand conceptually and morally and

yet I am not comfortable with the notion that any of my experiences be deemed “unreal”

It’s all real to me.

Outcome s

A break down of what I hope to achieve.

• An artificial painted set of a classical interior.

• A comprehensive body of digital paintings, which can be shown individually.

• A set of images comprising the ‘paintings’ framed, in the context of the faux

interior.

• A set of images comprising the ‘paintings’ framed, in the context of the faux

interior using chord barriers with an active audience viewing the work.

Possible options if technical hurdles occur.

• Scale model of set

• Tee use of digital artistry to represent the interior.

• Use a borrowed interior to take the shots.

Possible extras as outcomes

• A printed book, mimicking that of a collection with all the trimmings, preface and

historian’s comments.

• Brochure.

Outcome mode l s

A diverse body of work unrestricted to one option of presentation, which will give the

work scope for show.

(Above) The work in context of faux interiors, or shown independently.

(Below) The work framed, contrasting the sterility of a contemporary gallery with that of

the rather loud, busy gilt frames. The frames will contain imagery however the emptiness

is quite interesting.

M edia

Digital photography

Photoshop

Painting

Framing

M ethodo l og i e s

Further study the stately homes and their collections. In particular that of Mount Stuart,

the isle of Bute, Scotland. Mount Stuart holds an extremely diverse and impressive

family line collection. The actual building materials within Mount Stuart are also

incredible with marbles from all over the world as well as focalized stone pillars and

mosaic tiling. All of which would be great to explore as imitation possibilities. Every

piece in the vast collection has individual history and it would be potentially of interest to

apply a fictional narrative to my individual pieces of work.

I will look into each individual painting as a system for gaining a recognizable

eclecticism in my final work. There is an extensive list of 14 renowned artists from Allan

Ramsey to Titian, from whom I can study technique and formalism.

Explore the practicalities of a scale installation and methods of faux finish through visual

examples, books and trial and error.

Explore presentation options, book presentation and printing possibilities.

Risk a s s e s smen t

No significant risk to others or myself. Images will be securely hung.

Time tab l e

Bibl i ogr aphy

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