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Act One, Seen Too

Act One, Seen Too, 2011/10 is a painting designed for theatre space consisting of handmade painted kimonos, each with a character-like presence, and banner paintings hung from the ceiling apparatus on a stage. Each banner features a kimono depicted as though cast into a role in a play. Having been welcomed as spectators in the auditorium, viewers are subsequently invited to experience the artwork on stage, surrounded by the painting components. Seen from theatre seats, the painting components framed by the proscenium cohere into a single still image and are subject only to the viewer’s gaze. On stage, viewers are encouraged to participate in the mise-en-scene and “perform” the painting for themselves.

Act One, Seen Too offers a dialogue between the magic of the still image and the immersion of live action. It was first presented at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, co-produced by the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham. Invigilators ensured the visiting public was informed about the work in relation to my practice as a still life painter for the past thirty years. A contextual interview was distributed as a leaflet and I gave a public talk with Jonathan Watkins, Director of Ikon Gallery. The event was featured in the Guardian Guide amongst other media coverage. Act One, Seen Too was repeated at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London.

The properties of each stage allowed a different assemblage of painting components, which generated different interpretations and attracted different audiences. Act One, Seen Too is highly original and innovative and radically extends the genre of still painting. Presented outside conventional gallery space, it contributes to the debate on forms of contemporary painting and attracts a new audience to a visual art event. It has led to new painting-performances by me including at Crate, Margate and at the Royal Academy.