On Whitfield Lovell

Happy Easter! Unlike many beautiful blogs out there like the amazing Krissy who elected to post very adorable pictures of them lapins, I have decidedly I would be the lone wolf who would post something entirely unrelated to Easter.

I have already talked at lengths about featuring this particularly artist by the name of Whitfield Lovell, who came to my school at the end of last month as an visiting artist who made wonderful use of the my school's printing machines. His process drawing out a portrait first (either on glass or something other medium) which is then transferred by the printing press onto different materials - in this case he used mostly old wallpaper, fabric and normal pieces of paper. Most of the time it's lithographic prints but he chose other methods this time. Too bad I cannot expand on more about the process because I know very very little about print making being a drawing and painting type of girl but he was so good that I am now inspired to take a class in print making to learn more about this fabulous medium.
I was fortunate to attend his lecture that accompanied the showing of his work at the college art museum. It was very interesting to learn about his process and that this collection had came about when he started to collect vintage old photographs of African Americans from late 18th century and the 19th century. Normally I find traditionally drawn portraits to be rather boring, however Lovell pays great meticulous attention to detail that the portrait itself becomes mesmerizing and beckons one to come closer and ponder at the mastery. What sets Lovell's Kin Series portraits apart however is the item that is placed on the drawing. It is as if Lovell assumes the role of the portrait subject and places a personal artifact onto the drawing, making the drawing much more personal and insightful person's life.
Interesting fact! One personal anecdote that Lovell shared was that he was visiting a friend down south when he came across a photograph on the mantel of the friend's home that seemed strangely similar. After searching through his collection, he found that he had a copy of the friend's great grandmother. It blows me mind sometimes of how we are all connected in some fashion, one way or another.

Now this isn't the only time of art Lovell does. The artist draws on many types of medium with either chalk or graphite on collected pieces of furniture, driftwood, parts of all walls, and other bits and ends of vintage fabric. But they all feature the same sort of motif - a portrait with object(s) placed around them. I admire his skill and technicality the most. He seems to be a master of charcoal and graphite with a precision that I have rarely seen in contemporary art. I wish you all could see the drawings in person up close and witness the details in its full glory. If only I had the skill!