Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1110343
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 APRIL 2019 5 THIS WEEK ART inspires a new piece, that's then made in a different format, yet everything con- nects through an association or theme. My new exhibition, 'The Two Of Us', has been partly influenced by the newly re- stored gallery rooms at the Palazzo de la Salle – the paintings I am exhibiting have taken some cues from the vast rooms they'll be shown in, so even exhibition spaces have informed my work and this has also been the case when I've worked with installation and performance. What was it like to establish yourself as an artist in the UK? Establishing yourself as an artist is generally difficult the world over and the UK is no exception. I feel lucky be- ing a Londoner – the city remains one of the most busy, exciting and impor- tant art capitals of the world but this is both a blessing and a curse. The Lon- don art scene is also highly competi- tive and there is an aspect of it that can be faddy, cliquey and superficial – this doesn't sit well with me personally but the art world has always been like this wherever you are. As an artist you have to engage and negotiate your way and find your groove with it all without los- ing your integrity. What can visitors expect from The Two of Us? What are some of the main thematic and aesthetic undercurrents of this exhibition? The exhibition features a number of painted portraits and explores ideas of what we see and think about when we encounter a portrait – whether we're concerned about understanding who the person is, how and why it's been created in a certain way and whether we can somehow go beyond the façade and decipher the sitter's character or per- sonality. The painted portrait remains a very prestigious way of presenting yourself to the public and I'm interested in ideas around the space between our public and private lives – how we are seen and want to be seen by others and how we really are – so the use of masks and other means of obscuring or pro- tecting the subject's face is something I'm fascinated with as it also determines how we encounter the person on show. The Two Of Us also explores ideas around the physical process of painting and what it is to paint. From planning the painting through to the construction (and sometimes deconstruction and re- construction) of the artwork, I am inter- ested in how exercises such as drawing, underpainting and painting application techniques such as washes, glazes, col- our mixing and alla-prima techniques all come into play. Some of the paintings have mixed media elements so you'll find sewing or collage as part of the piece, with work swinging from the figurative to something more abstract. As an art teacher, I'm interested in both classic and contemporary artmaking techniques alongside notions of incom- plete, interrupted, inaccurate and dam- aged work, and how this brings further meaning to an artwork: how we may speculate on who or what we can see, why the artist has responded in this man- ner, why they have accepted the result or even abandoned the painting altogether. Each painting is only 15 x 21 cm – a decision and response to working with the Palazzo's vast rooms. Relating to themes of scale and space, these small paintings invite us to get up close and personal or view from a polite, safe distance. Finally each painting is titled 'You and Me' – a response to all of these themes of identity, persona, artmaking techniques, presentation and response. What's next for you? Work being shown in 'The Two Of Us' will go on show in London and Hert- fordshire in the autumn. I'm finalising a solo exhibition of the work, plus some of the paintings will be shown in group exhibitions in September and Novem- ber. I'm also travelling to Venice soon to deliver a drawing and painting course as part of my art school plus I'll visit the Venice Biennale – I'm looking forward to seeing Trevor Borg's work in the Maltese pavilion as well as British art- ist Cathy Wilke's work which is always interesting. The Two of Us will be on display at the Malta Society of Arts, Palazzo De La Salle, Valletta from May 2 to 23 "These small paintings invite us to get up close and personal or view from a polite, safe distance" "The creative path is not an easy one to follow so it helps to have good, genuine people in your life to help you along" Works forming part of 'The Two of Us' by Mario Lautier Vella