Kunst

Took the opportunity to dive into the National Portrait Galleries 2014 competition exhibition.

The standard of the entries was really high, not really a single duff piece.

Things I learnt:

• representational or naturalistic art is back in with a lot of photo realistic quality entries, personally I like photography as well so I don't value the technical ability as much as maybe I should
• sitters were almost exclusively family members, lovers or fellow artists. Family portraits seemed to be the most intimate.
• women can only keep their clothes on if they are mothers

My favourites brought some humour to their subject. Boris Dobre's self-portrait checked the homage to classics box but was also managed to be subversive. Fergus by Paul Benny doesn't just undermine the self-regard of the genre but the tenderness with which Fergus Henderson cradles the roast piglet is both absurd and utterly genuine at the same time.

Clara Drummond's small colour study was inspired by Tudor portraiture (black background, rich colours) but I liked the vulnerable intimacy of the piece, with the sitter's eyes closed you felt invited to share something.