Nadent Pon : Final Piece

I managed to source some Cambodian stamps with images of birds on them; connecting Nikos's story with Nadent's journey to England. I have used 19 in total.

Nikos Leonidas : Final Piece

Have used extracts of sheet music:
Orpheus in the Underworld.








The Greek myth of Orpheus tied in nicely with the conversation I had with Nikos.

Exhibition Invite

An exhibition of paintings by

Ella Phillips

Curated by Habda Rashid

Indo Bar

133 Whitechapel Road E1 1DT

1 November-30 November

Opening: 1 November 6pm- 11pm

www.ellaphillipsportfolio.com

Nadent Pon

Pros Duon and Nadent Pon

Although I haven't finished Nikos Leonidas' portrait (still needs text), I have started my next portrait...

I met two amazing dancers from Cambodia in Trafalgar Square. They invited me to see them perform at Spitalfields and it was amazing! I am still in the process of editing the film of their performance that I hope could be shown alongside their portraits. Pros Duon and Nadent Pon were only in London for two weeks as part of a dance tour they were doing with a charity that works in both London and Cambodia. They hope to go on and teach dance to other people in Cambodia.

...I have started my portrait of Nadent Pon, however, as with Nikos Leonardis the text is yet to be added. My plan so far is to collage text onto my images and it is a longer process sourcing this material than the actual painting!

I had planned to leave the eyes of Nadent blank to allow a projection of indidividual spectator's eyes to 'complete' the painting.

...I imagined that this would develop on my exploration of the interaction of layer. But my compulsion to create a painting that stands alone, absent from the need of technology overwhelmed this origninal plan. I discovered that although I am keen to push my portraiture in a contemporary direction that embraces the idea of audience particpation and moves away from it as a static 'forme dépassée'; I am also guided by an impulse to create portraits that I can make soley with my hands, colour and a surface...

...If you were on a desert island what would you bring?

Nikos Leonidas

I met Nikos Leonidas on Oxford street. He was busking. He told me that he has lived in London for 51 years. He learnt to play the violin at a school for the blind in Cyprus and can be found on Oxford Street 5 days a week entertaining passers by and feeding the pigeons.

He has worked in many jobs but is not motivated by money...

"As I said, life is good. It's up to the person how you make it- you know what I mean?"






(Food for thought: done from a photo...too many fields of separation...has left painting feeling flat/past/dead... will work from sketches with future subjects...can I get them to sit for me?)

New project: Linked

Finding connections between people in London...

How do our surroundings effect who we are? How much in common do we have with strangers? How difficult is it to get someone to tell their story? What choices will I make to structure my narrative (omission/inclusion)? How can I express the many layers of experience?


Interviewing people on the street and painting their portraits... using the stories they tell me to inform where I go next to search out my following subject...

...culminating in an art treasure hunt...

...Hopefully this pilot version will aid me in evolving the idea in time for my project trip to Dominica.


First encounter: Nikos Leonidas...