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Bp Portrait Accolade Exhibition 2019 (Part 2): Analysis

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With the 2nd purpose of my review of the BP Portrait Award 2019 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery I'm earthworks deeper too looking inwards especial at diverse attributes of the selected portraits - too other reviews of the exhibition.

You tin as good read my before postal service BP Portrait Award Exhibition 2019 (Part 1): Overview critique

BP Portrait Award 2019 - i of the walls with to a greater extent than colourful paintings
At the goal of my analysis, I concluded that it is so real deplorable that an exhibition which used to live a joy to see has transcend away such a shadow of its sometime self. The exhibition has, for the most part, lost numbers, size, color too complexity from the portraits on display.

A collection of small-scale too tiny paintings around i medium sized painting

Reviews of the exhibition

Reviews past times the newspapers were almost solely limited to the issues concerning the BP Sponsorship within the context of draw of piece of occupation most climate alter too the usage of fossil fuels.

Apart from the latter purpose of the The Times review, these are NOT serious reviews of an fine art exhibition.
It’s non the pictures that people are talking about. It’s the sponsor. For iii decades, the squall of the world’s biggest fossil fuel producer has branded the BP Portrait Award. As a result, protestation has transcend away as much a characteristic of the annual awards ceremony as the statement of a winner.
Thus far, however, this protestation ever stopped at the portico of the National Portrait Gallery. Now it marches correct in. Gary Hume, who sits on the judging panel, as good as viii other artists previously involved inwards the event, receive got voiced their draw of piece of occupation most what they run into as an uncomfortable liaison.
  • 2019 BP Portrait Award announced amidst sponsorship controversy | The Telegraph past times Biba Kang (who mainly covers cinema too music) - no comment on the fine art inwards the exhibition other than measure PR unloosen materials re the winner
  • Charlie Schaffer wins 2019 BP portrait award | The Guardian past times Lanre Bakare (Guardian arts too civilization correspondent - who mainly covers music) - could receive got been written at her desk without visiting the exhibition. It uses press unloosen information too press cloth from the BP Protestors
Award comes amidst criticism of BP’s funding too sponsorship of National Portrait Gallery The Guardian
  • The Evening Standard which has ever produced skillful coverage for this honour stopped posting afterward the shortlist was announced. I must tell I transcend away along to miss Brian Sewell.... 
I read them too concluded that I was non the only i convinced that the BP Portrait Award is losing its condition as good as competent Judges, its normal gallery too portrait paintings inwards the exhibition.


What's Different? An analysis of the Portraits


Every yr I practise an analysis of the portraits selected for the exhibition inwards damage of size too type - too y'all tin run into the results below. This year's exhibition prompted me to retrieve most a wider-ranging analysis too to retrieve most doing to a greater extent than analysis of the exhibits over time....

The factors I consider below are:
  • number
  • size too media
  • type
  • composition
  • colour
  • subject



What's different? NUMBER


This is a tape how the number of portraits exhibited continues to decrease - making this an increasingly less prestigious exhibition. 

Only 44 portraits were selected inwards 2019 - compared to a decade of betwixt 53 too 60. It agency the exhibition has been getting smaller too smaller. In my sentiment it needs to larn dorsum upward to around 55 decent sized portraits inwards every exhibition - or human face upward a permanent diminution inwards its prestige - too visitors.

Comparison of the number of entries too the number of portraits selected 2004-2019
What this nautical chart tells me is:
  • the number of annual international entries (blue columns) has peaked. Entry numbers are straight off diminishing. The number inwards 2019 was the lowest for 4 years.
  • the number of portraits selected (red line) was consistently betwixt 55 too lx for to a greater extent than than a decade (2004-2014)
  • there has been a pregnant (20%) reduction inwards the number of portraits selected inwards the lastly 2 years. 
Did the size of the gallery made available for display constrain the number of paintings that could live exhibited? It's for certain a query that's relevant....


What's different?  SIZE & MEDIA
Three large paintings inwards a bounding main of small-scale / medium / tiny portraits
The major matter I noticed this yr is how few truly large portraits at that spot are.

There are a number that autumn into the "Small Large" too "Large Medium" category which I've counted as large - BUT they're emphatically NOT large compared to previous exhibitions. 

 I can't tell y'all anything most media as at that spot is no information on the website.  We used to ever larn the nature of the media it is painted inwards too the type of back upward when y'all click the link to an image. However, as with size, this is non included inwards the 2019 virtual exhibition.

I volition transcend away along to whine most the fact that it is real unhelpful to have absolutely NO DETAILS attached to the portrait inwards damage of media, back upward or SIZE on the website!

 Omitting basic information most size too media continues to be a fundamental sin for a virtual exhibit. Most people viewing this exhibition online are straight off unable to construct whatever sentence of a ikon without such information. To me - it's the same fault of sentence of selecting from digital images for an exhibition - without whatever information most size or media.

Below nosotros receive got a row of decent sized portraits - but this was real much the exception rather than the dominion - whereas this used to live the norm inwards past times years.

Three larger "medium" Paintings too a Large Painting (the winner) 
too a grouping of small-scale too tiny paintings

Small too tiny paintings receive got ever had a identify inwards BP Portrait
Those who practise them best as good demonstrate competence inwards complexity.
(Left to correct past times Jeff Midghall, David J. Eichenberg (a sometime BP Portrait prizewinner, Daniel Nelis too Denis Dalesio)

In the absence of whatever formal information most size I've made some judgements as to what constitutes unlike sizes too came upward with the numbers inwards the nautical chart below.

Conclusions

The emphasis inwards 2019 is on SMALL. The nautical chart below demonstrates how the number of:
  • large paintings receive got decreased past times to a greater extent than than tertiary (when y'all accept grouping paintings into account).
  • small too tiny paintings paintings receive got stayed around the same number BUT straight off stand upward for HALF the number of exhibits compared to tertiary inwards 2018
  • group paintings - which are commonly large - receive got to a greater extent than than halved inwards number.
  • 77% of the exhibition comprises portrait paintings which vary betwixt tiny too medium sizes - with the emphasis inwards 2019 on SMALL.
Comparison of the size of portraits inwards the BP Portrait Exhibitions inwards 2017, 2018 too 2019

What's different?  TYPE



Comparison of what parts of the body is included inwards the Portrait

Conclusions

Unsurprisingly - given the pregnant alter inwards the size of the portraits - there's as good been a consummate alter inwards parts of the body were painted inwards selected artworks inwards 2019.
  • In 2018: around 2 thirds of the portraits (63%) included either the whole figure and/or the upper torso, including the hands
  • In 2019: 2 thirds (66%) are limited to merely the caput or caput too shoulders.
In lawsuit this has stopped existence a proper portrait contest too has almost transcend away a "paint a head" competition. Compare for representative the online exhibition for 2019 with

What's different: COMPOSITION AND COLOUR?


In general, this is a real muted exhibition - with some explosions of color inwards a real few paintings.

I notice it real deplorable that SO MANY portraits (two thirds) receive got a evidently background painted inwards a 'neutral' colour.  There are to a greater extent than evidently backgrounds Three to a greater extent than artists painted evidently background - but used color to add together interest.

While undoubtedly a evidently background is a legitimate way of portraying a person, the BP has ALWAYS had a rich multifariousness of backgrounds inwards the selected portraits - but NOT THIS YEAR - with a few notable exceptions.

More significantly at that spot are almost no portraits with an interesting context / background - inwards real marked contrast to previous years. 

The next artists deserve advert for introducing color too involvement into their portrait backgrounds
  • David Eichenberg (who won 3rd Prize inwards 2010) has a fabulous crinkly gilt too silvery metallic element within his ikon of his missy Eden with the metaphorical attributes of his painting
It was inspired past times his paternal instinct of wanting to protect her from the effects of anxiety associated with adolescence. This is expressed past times wrapping her inwards survival blankets piece she wears night spectacles to defend her gaze.
Eden (Protection)by David J. Eichenberg

Dr Ronx past times Sara Jane Moon
  • Helen Lee Robinson used a Holbein turquoise backdrop to her real fine crude ikon of her sis Lucy.
  • Frances Borden (who won 2nd prize inwards 1998) used an every bit impactful background with the scarlet she chose for her portrait 
Resting by Helen Lee Robinson - i of my favourite paintings

Manresa past times Frances Borden - a tiny ikon - used for the Exhibition Banners too Publicity

What's different: SUBJECTS & CELEBRITIES?

Absolutely no portraits of celebrities this yr - which I approximate agency less for the newspapers to write most too no claw to hang the marketing on.

Indeed as The Times paper commented it is inwards lawsuit an exhibition of mostly real ordinary portraits of real ordinary people.

What I liked


The best flake most the exhibition is the way the Gallery has been opened up so that it tin breathe too y'all tin run into nearly the whole exhibition - albeit only from merely within the door!

No longer does the Gallery experience poky. We tin run into architecture as good as portraits.

The gallery looks cracking - with walls removed
- but portraits which start feet inwards a higher identify people's heads is NOT Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 GOOD IDEA!

I liked SOME of the portraits - but a lot fewer than inwards previous years - which left me feeling as if I hadn't actually visited the exhibition. I kept looking around for more/better portraits

I'm writing afterward having seen it iv times and it is so much LESS memorable than usual.

So - for the standout paintings. I'm going to listing them too tell why too so include some of the images
  • I real much liked the portrait past times the First Prize winner Charlie Shaffer. It's a portrait which grows on you. I approximate I tin ever live seduced past times those who construct marks rather than merely apply large brushes or glaze because it's the way I similar to work. This is real definitely a portrait which needs to live seen inwards somebody to appreciate ALL the reasons why it won First prize.
Detail of the mark-making too hatching within the ikon which won First Prize
for Charlie Shaffer
Rumination past times Frances Bell
  • I loved the Rumination portrait by Frances Bell from the instant I saw it for the outset time.  It's classic ikon of a sitter who seems to receive got a human foot inwards the past times too the present.
  • I liked Father with Partner by Marco Krauwinkel. First because it was an odd topic - 2 middle-aged men who are clearly partners, painted past times the boy of i of them. Second because Marco is an fantabulous painter who nailed it inwards damage of how he position pigment on the sheet too designed the portrait.
  • Ninety Years by Miguel Angel Oyarbide was as good an extremely impressive portrait of his mother
Left - Ninety Years past times Miguel Angel Oyarbide
Right Father with Partner past times Marco Krauwinkel.

Plus the others highlighted above....

Where does this contest transcend away from here?



Personally I'm convinced that the NPG needs to receive got a major rethink most this portrait competition
Certainly nosotros demand to run into selectors which include to a greater extent than practising portrait artists of repute - selected from eg past times winners

If they transcend away along to downgrade the exhibition inwards damage of size too place too the regard they receive got for the portrait artists who function is selected (in damage of how it gets hung) so perhaps they'll notice that start to run into the character of the people sending inwards portraits declining as well.  Maybe it's already happening?

If the Wolfson Gallery accommodated iii pregnant exhibitions a year, perhaps the BP Portrait Award Exhibition could supply to this larger Gallery too live changed to a unlike engagement to trim contest with the notional blockbusters?  (Let's non forget that THIS is the exhibition which has consistently generated the most visitors to the Gallery over the years). 

Maybe nosotros demand a NATIONAL Portrait Painting Competition for merely Great Britain artists?
(i.e. for professional person portrait painters living too working inwards the Great Britain for all of the previous 12 months - as with the Archibald).

If an exhibition is to include portraits of celebrities so I'd similar for it to live based on the same notion as that used past times the Archibald Prize inwards Commonwealth of Australia - i.e. that the people should live those mostly recognised as having made a contribution to the host country.
'preferentially of some homo or adult woman distinguished inwards art, letters, scientific discipline or politics, painted past times whatever creative somebody resident inwards the UK’.
Maybe the contest could include an ADDITIONAL PRIZE of the buy (at the measure committee rate) of the best ikon within this category for the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery?

Maybe the awards arrangement could live revised. For representative how about:
  • First Prize - as now
  • Commission Prize (instead of 2nd prize)
  • Runner Up  (instead of tertiary prize)
  • Young Artist - as now 
  • BP Travel Award - on topics related to sustainability too climate warming


My Blog Posts most Previous BP Portrait Exhibitions

BP Portrait Award 2019

BP Portrait Award 2018

BP Portrait Award 2017

BP Portrait Award 2016

BP Portrait Award 2015

BP Portrait Award 2014

BP Portrait Award 2013

BP Portrait Award 2012

BP Portrait Award 2011

BP Portrait Award 2010

BP Portrait Award 2009

BP Portrait Award 2008

BP Portrait Award 2007

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