Portrait project

We went to Nottingham Castle and met with the curator there, Abbie, who in collaboration with Tom, has offered us the opportunity to reinterpret a portrait from their new exhibition and have ours pieces shown in the space.

I chose this oil painting titled 'Head of a woman in profile' painted between 1900 and 1942.

I am absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity, it's a huge privilege and I'm excited to get started.

My initial ideas for reinterpretation themes are: feminism, religion and shame constructs. Visually I would like to focus on the object that stands out the most in the painting to me; her habit.

Because it's painted skillfully using oils, the texture of her habit is beautifully rendered. And the white cloth has an almost luminescent quality.

My initial ideas include: 

• Making a light sculpture using porcelain of the habit.

• Including humour, for example having the piece title 'Bad Habit' and having the word Bad cast shadow through the porcelain habit when it flickers on.

• Some kind of interactive piece that explores the shame dogma so prevalent in catholicism. Maybe something to do with praying/ kneeling stool or cushion.

• Recreating a nuns habit in textiles and embroidering it. Possibly with the names of nuns affiliated with the castle/ the local area as a gesture to honor their memory. Possibly just with the word bad.

• Creating some really human/ funny/ awkward portrait photos of me in a nubs habit; think bad school or year book photos 

• Exploring religious ritual with the catholic sacraments, exploring the ideas of token Maybe even making objects for people to take away as a gift if they interact with the installation. 

• Using the medium of crafts as a reference to the subjugation of women, with a modern twist to give it some bite/ subversion. I'm thinking mediocre cross stitch like the typical religious folk art you see on pew benches/ kneeling cushions etc.

All of the above have various logistical/ technical making considerations which I have been speaking about with my tutors and the technicians. I will start making some test pieces this week.

I also have questions relating to the curation of the piece and have made a note of my considerations so far. Mainly is the interactive elemebt possible. And could i have a double display area if so? I will bring them up with Abbie when she visits our studios next week.

Feeling excited!