About this piece.
"There's no art
To find the mind's construction in the face"
(Shakespeare. Macbeth)
Ironically, through art, this is exactly what Alan Mitchell succeeded in doing very well with my portrait in his "Dialogues" collection.
Picture the scene - two exhausted teachers meeting after school once or twice a week for about six weeks. One is the artist and one the subject. Professionally, a difficult time for both of us - and this is captured in my face. No matter how much we laughed and talked, my eyebrow and pursed mouth always appeared at the mention of one name (not to be disclosed here of course - confidentiality clause written in).
Alan has captured this brilliantly. Indeed, he has captured a period in our shared history and a mood that hung over us both. He has captured the time of day, the light and the emotions we shared. When I look at my portrait this is what I think about - not about my face.
The process and not the result has come to mean more to me. It was a cathartic experience. This I find startling as when Alan proposed painting my portrait I was nervous, slightly embarrassed and thinking about how I would look and not how I would feel .
Do I like the painting? - No. I wanted him to paint me like I wanted to look and not as I am. Does it look like me? - Yes...unfortunately! What I DO like are the colours he sees me as, bright purples, oranges and yellows. Would I do it again? Definitely - better than a shrink any day!
Maureen Catt
