Theory
The work relates to Nicholas Bourriaud’s theory of Relational Art. He says Relational Art is, “A set of artistic practices which take as their theoretical and practical point of departure the whole of human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space.”
In Relational Art, the audience is envisaged as a community. Rather than the artwork being an encounter between a viewer and an object, relational art produces inter-subjective encounters. The artwork creates a social environment in which people come together to participate in a shared activity.
Tina’s aim is to create a whole gallery of re-creations, a kind of alternative collection of Old Masters where each work was created by the public. Although no one can doubt the power, skill and mystique of the Old Masters, the work she makes in collaboration both pays homage to and pokes fun at them, made from a patchwork of styles and talent, the end result can often be dazzling.
“I like the idea of demystifying the process of oil painting, opening it up so that anyone can have a go. Using an ‘Old Master’ gives a sense of achievement to participants and also questions the ideas of authorship, genius and style by fragmenting the image and juxtaposing the ‘handwriting’ of many painters. It is also interesting to transform the normally solitary, private activity of the painter into a communal, public one.” Tina McCallan