Sat 23rd May: Embellished Faces Part 2

Next stop, a talk by Maurizio Anzeri at the new Photographer's Gallery. Previously known for his sculptures of plaited hair, Maurizio has recently transferred his embroidery skills onto vintage photographs. He has amassed black and white posed portraits from flea markets and carefully characterized individuals with coloured threads. Maurizio explained that some are easier to transcribe than others. The anonymous faces gazing out give away a certain glimpse of narrative for him to interpret in addition to a few being dated and titled as starting points. The result is impassioned pin hole weavings of geometric patterns applied in painstaking precision and optical intricacy. In the end he regards them still as sculpture due to the relief surface texture. So although my photos are perhaps not the most clear view of the finished article, I have tilted the camera to try and illustrate this way of looking at the 2D object.
The talk was a refreshing affirmation of proper REAL art because not only are the works beautiful but he came across as a very naturally contented soul with no delusions of artifice or.pretension. Full of affection but not affected.