BP Portrait award

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 06-12-2008, 08:34 AM

The BP show has finally opened yesterday.

Congratulations to Maryam Foroozanfar for being the face of the show: her work is on the cover of the catalogue and on all posters!
This is the
website with the list of selected work.

Indeed the majority of people in the portraits look as if view through a lens, this is the trend and has been so for the past few years.

My favorite is definitely this painting , a... painting. Very close to the divine Lopez Garcia, I am sure there is a generation of spanish painters who have studied with him and were influenced by his work. Anyway you can make your own mind about the selection

Ilaria

Thomasin Dewhurst · 06-13-2008, 12:08 PM

Thanks for the link, Ilaria. Some astonishing technical skill, but (as has been said on numerous other occasions) not altogether art, don't you think?

I was looking up Lopez Garcia (whose work I don't really find divine), and the links and wanderings took me to Euan Uglow who you've mentioned - much better than Lopez Garcia, - and then on to Paula Rego and James Ensor whose work I have, of course, looked at before, but who I have somewhat forgotten about in the overwhelming blanket of rather empty super-realism. They are far, far more than head-and-shoulders above the latter. They access and give expression to their clear and powerful vision like superconductivity - no barriers to the flow of ideas. I am re-inspired and redirected back to what it is all about - I hope.

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 06-13-2008, 02:26 PM

Thomasin, I have the feeling that Lopez should be seen in real life. Maybe if there's some members from Boston they could tell us how his work is in real life! There is one of his landscapes in an auction at Chrisitie's London next week and I will go and see.

Anyway, apart from my quasi veneration for Uglow which I look up very often, I also love Paula Rego.

She is just so dedicated to her art. DId you see her illustrations for Jane Eyre?They are incredibly strong. I recently heard an interview with her on the radio, she was talking of her studio, her dolls, her simple eveyday working life. I found her quite moving. Also check out her late husband's work, Victor Willing.

My latest english artistic discovery is another very moving and inspiring painter.

His name is Sargy Mann: he is 71, has studied with and been close to a generation of painters like Francis Hoyland and Patrick George. He started his artistic career straight after art school but when he was around 35 his eyesight has started deteriorating and he is now almost completely blind. He has kept painting all along.

I saw a show of his recent works and bought his book .
It took a while for his paintings to get to me but I am now totally taken by the complexity and depth of his work.

Here there is an article on him, just saying his name sends me straight to my easel mortified by not trying hard enough.

Ilaria

Carlos Ygoa · 06-14-2008, 04:30 AM

Ilaria,
Thanks for posting the link. There are very definite parallels between the BP contest and the annual contest here in Spain which is also very shortly going to post their winners. The painting you mentioned in your hyperlink is by the same artist in this painting:

http://www.fundaciondelasartes.org/pags/33D.html
(Scroll down to "Preseleccionados" to find his name: Alejandro Marco Montalbo)

This was from last year

Maryam Foroozanfar · 06-17-2008, 06:33 PM

Thanks very much Ilaria, and congrats to you for exhibiting in the last Royal Society of Portrait Painters show. It was great to see a familiar name and to match it with actual paint strokes alas!

Best,
Maryam

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco

The BP show has finally opened yesterday.
Congratulations to Maryam Foroozanfar for being the face of the show: her work is on the cover of the catalogue and on all posters !
This is the
website with the list of selected work.
Indeed the majority of people in the portraits look as if view through a lens, this is the trend and has been so for the past few years.
My favorite is definitely this painting , a... painting. Very close to the divine Lopez Garcia, I am sure there is a generation of spanish painters who have studied with him and were influenced by his work. Anyway you can make your own mind about the selection
Ilaria

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 06-17-2008, 06:47 PM

Maryam, I didn't have the chance to go see the show yet but I will go soon and i am looking forward to get a close look at your work-again!

Passing such a huge selection this year is really an achievement and even more being chosen for the logo.

I hope it will bring you a lot of success.

Ilaria

Maryam Foroozanfar · 06-18-2008, 05:06 AM

Hi Ilaria,

Seems the gravitation towards a photorealistic style has become increasingly favorable for this particular competition - to the gratification & awe of some and inevitably, the disappointment of others. Hopefully, at least a couple portraits will shine and speak to each viewer regardless of personal preference.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the exhibition once you've seen it. Thanks again for your very kind and encouraging words.

All the best,
Maryam

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco

Maryam, I didn't have the chance to go see the show yet but I will go soon and i am looking forward to get a close look at your work-again !
Passing such a huge selection this year is really an achievement and even more being chosen for the logo.
I hope it will bring you a lot of success
Ilaria

Thomasin Dewhurst · 06-20-2008, 10:44 AM

Well, I just found out that Craig Wylie , a fellow student of mine at Rhodes university in South Africa, won the award. He is going to be sending some works to Vancouver, Canada in August this year to be part of the exhibition at the Hodnett Fine Art Gallery , where some of my works will be as well.

Maryam Foroozanfar · 06-24-2010, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco

The BP show has finally opened yesterday.

Congrats to you on making it into the BP Award 2010 show this year, Ilaria - and for landing such a prime spot in the exhibition as well! Your colo(u)rful portrait of Geneva looks so spontaneous and alive - a refreshing piece which certainly stands out amongst the sea of muted tones.

Hope you don't mind me posting it here:

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibi...hibitor-45.php

I did see you and wanted to say hello, but you were swarmed by a mob of admirers & friends every time I passed by.

All the best,
Maryam

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 06-24-2010, 07:13 AM

Shame I didn't recognize you !
Thank you, and congratulations for your incredibly delicate baby painting; you are ALWAYS there in the show !
I am now terrified for next year !!
Someone advised me to capitalize on the show so I was doing my best !
I nerdily introduced myself to other artists, I must confess I enjoyed the evening to bits, in the end they had to kick me out
:-))