A Narrated Portrait

Eileen Hogan, the Co-Investigator in the research network, presented a screen-based project showing sketches and paintings she had made between 2008 and 2011 at the third workshop. The project explored how the experience of creating a portrait might be affected by the simultaneous recording of an audio life story with the sitter. Hogan sketched Anya Sainsbury while the latter was being interviewed by Cathy Courtney, Project Director for National Life Stories at the British Library. The resulting drawings in Hogan’s sketchbook, the final portraits, Anya Sainsbury’s recorded words and a short film of one session were brought together in A Narrated Portrait 2008–2011. Hogan soon realised that rather than being a new version of existing work, A Narrated Portrait was a new multi-media work in its own right which allowed viewers to listen to sound recordings and watch the film while virtually turning the pages of the sketchbook. Using turning the page technology, the project was developed with Armadillo Systems and published in 2013 at http://eileenhogan.onlineculture.co.uk/ttp/.

(Source: Tate Gallery)