All hyped up but nothing to do

My MA has started at London Met and I'm excited and nervous but I can't actually do any thing. We've had our first lectures and on theoretical writing and research methods but they were really just introductions to the course, we have no actual work to do. We have also had our studios allocated but they're not actually ready to work in.

So I've decided to blog, about something almost completely unrelated, about celebrity art, not artists as celebrities but particularly celebrities that take up painting. Well not take up painting , but take up exhibiting paintings.

The example of these that has grabbed my attention, thanks to www.ArtInfo.com is Bob Dylan, whose "Asia Series" is being exhibited by the Gagaosian Gallery. They are paintings of scenes inspired apparently by his travels in the far east. Although they have subsequently turned out to be paintings from vintage photographs, which in itself isn't that shocking. If I had travelled in Japan and Hong Kong, I might well buy old photos and make paintings from them, but it turns out he found them on Flickr, and mostly on one particular 'photostream'.

There are so many levels on which I am finding this amusing. I don't really care that Bob Dylan has copied the photos, but that the Gagoasian has exhibited them is funny, they have already been involved in the Richard Prince making art out of Patrick Cariou Rasta photos lawsuit in the past year. Wonderfully Prince has written the text to the Dylan Catalogue.

Just when you think Gagoasian can't damage its reputation further they are showing unoriginal paintings which, purely because they are by someone famous for his music, which no-one seems to have mentioned aren't very good,

MA interview

So I went to my interview, the course leader was late and hadn't read my personal statement, so he almost solely asked me technical questions about my painting, which threw me. As ever in interview I don't feel I acquitted myself very well. I felt I flustered and bluffed badly. Then it struck me I don't know what an MA is really supposed to give me. I mean yes the opportunity to develop my work and the chance to study again is what every body sites, but actually I don't desperately need a space to develop my work and I'm happy with the critical discussion at Magenta. But I do need the qualification to progress my career and I do enjoy critique even if I do get defensive in the moment when my work is discussed (I assume every one does, its that or get upset) and I am looking forward to writing about art again.

If you've done an MA what did you get out of it that just being in the studio with other artists would not have given you? I'd like to know, I don't want the CV spiel that you give when you're trying to impress or trying to justify going back to Uni, I'd just like an explanation.

I'm a portrait artist, I'm exploring the genre and developing my work, finding out what works for me without aping the work of others. I don't really know what an MA will do for me apart from hot house that process, how should I have answered the question 'What do you want from an MA?'?

MA personal statement

This is the personal statement I wrote to apply to London Met to do the MA Fine Art. It was an interesting exercise to try to encapsulate my art career and priorities in one page. Its a taster to hopefully provoke questions at interview. If you have any thoughts please leave a comment

"Brendon O'Hanlon Personal statement

I currently work on my art practice at Magenta Art, a studio and artist development space I co-founded and now run in Holloway, while working part time on the IT Service Desk at Haringey Council. My main motivation to do an MA is to enable me to teach art at university level alongside my continuing art practice.

Prior to studying fine art I spent eight years designing costumes for fringe and amateur theatre and short and low budget films. I made the switch to painting in 2004 after I went part time with my day job in IT. I exhibited paintings made while unable to find work in costume. The positive reaction to the work and the satisfaction of having final control of my work convinced me to pursue painting.

In 2006 I chose to study BA Fine Art at Middlesex University to have proper studio space, learn more about the ‘art world’ and for the opportunity to meet other artists. There I took the chance to experiment with video, performance, sculpture and guerrilla exhibiting as well as developing my painting. Joining the art discourse and discovering the varied nature of art and artists was probably the most significant and unexpected benefit of doing a degree.

My final degree show work was stripped back and very simple using my drawing and painting skills to show my interest in identity and human interaction. My dissertation looked at Mauritian art, I decided to analyse the attitude to visual art within Mauritian culture with the advantage of my personal viewpoint being half Mauritian living in Britain both part of and outside of the culture.

Since my degree, I have experimented with painting from video excerpts, from my own material and footage from sources such as YouTube. This was part of the process of trying to adapt my art practice post university, I realised that although it enabled me to work without a live model and I was able to capture subjects in a manner that working with a live sitter did not allow, the work lacked the immediacy of my painting from life. I have come to realise and accept that my best work is intrinsically time based, a record of my relationship with the sitter or subject. Rather than try to contrive an image or situation I should react to the subject as I work.

I am aware of the debate regarding the relevance of the painted portrait in contemporary art and I was reluctant to concentrate on it, but out of all my work, portraits have always stimulated the most postitive reaction, so I decided to reclaim the portrait for myself, by doing as many as I could for the next year. This has become about 2-3 paintings a week, also enabling me to refresh my skills, and I have particularly been trying to perfect the one sitting portrait. This work has led me to realize the increased relevance of the portrait. The live sitting conflicts with modern life; the digital world tells us everything can be done virtually, but the portrait emphasises the enduring value of human contact and personal relationships.

Magenta Art was founded in 2009 as supportive environment with studio space, an art reference library and regular events aimed at new graduates. We have had several exhibitions and open studios including being part of Islington Exhibits. It has also become a space for older art graduates to come back to art. The experience of the past year running Magenta has reinforced my desire to work in art education, helping others work in art along side my own practice. "

Portraiture in the digital world post modern world

Having gone to university to learn about the art world I have come out as I went in; still in love with the life sitting and the portrait. Unfortunately I discovered while I was there that the art world doesn't love the portrait. Terms like 'illustrative' are 'concept' are use, and the purpose is questioned.

University is a great place to learn why you do things, and fine art probably the best for it, but frequently a fine art degree will scare a young artist. The weight of art history and the tutors knowledge and experience is intimidating, it takes a lot of confidence to defy the opinion of a mentor. In some ways though this is the intention, it makes you question your motivation; tests your mettle.