In weekly e-meetings Project Ability artists Cameron Morgan, Paul Rankin, John McNaught, Jonathan McKinstry, Doreen Kay and tutor, Valerie O’Regan have been exploring the origins and development of portraiture throughout art history.
From the artworks of American artist Chuck Close to John Singer Sargent, the artists have considered identity, symbolism, body language, use of colour and context. The artists have explored how to ‘read’ a portrait, investigating people’s stories.
In conversation with Cheryl McGeehan, social geographer at Glasgow University, the artists looked at why portraits are made – acknowledging the historical bias towards famous and wealthy subjects, at the expense of celebrating everyday people.
The artists have explored the types of questions they would like to ask their ‘sitters’ to get a more rounded sense of who they are and how to add to the visual story of each portrait.
Over the last nine months the artist have been making portraits at home. The artists are working from a range of sources, including: live sittings with support workers and family members; socially distanced sketches with friends and neighbours; visual references of singers, actors, tv characters; and photographs of loved ones far away.
Recently the artists have been working on a series of zoom portraits of celebrated peers, with the sitter being sketched by one of the artists whilst in conversation with freelance journalist and disability activist, Michael McEwan.
We look forward to celebrating each person and their wonderful portraits in the Project Ability Gallery and online in September.
Gallery: portraits by Cameron Morgan
With thanks to Heritage Lottery for funding Our 100 Portraits
