Aiden Mark Anthony Blinthorp

R.page5@sky.com

Aiden interested in the relationships between figures, objects, space and how they can be connected to form a narrative; this subject matter was discovered and has been developed from within the working process. A particular narrative is implied within the images but Aiden tries to hide enough information so the narrative may be read differently by each individual. No matter who views his drawings they always seem to produce more of a sinister outcome which was one of his sole intensions.Aiden wanted voyeuristic qualities in the work to connect with this sinister air to the work. Aiden does this by using large white plains around the outside of the drawings to form a view point from which the viewer can look through onto the unsuspecting figures and what is happening within in the scene he has chosen to compose. It’s important to understand that the images he has chosen to draw and the narrative within them are not fictional. All of the work comes from an experience in his life which makes them very personal.

Aiden works this year have been completely different to previous years. This is because he has focused on the medium of drawing. Drawing has allowed him to focus on the strength of composition and form without the added complication of colour. With drawing, Aiden can pay more attention to the finer details within a piece of work, textures, lighting and shadows, space and form. Aiden wouldn’t be able to do this adequately with the amount of attention that colour demands. Charcoal was an integral component to the works strengths; it has a capability to produce wide variety of tones and textures that he utilized to the best of his ability to gain the strongest images he could. Aiden originally relied on photographs for the basis of his drawings but as his work progressed it was the completed works that formed the basis for the next development.

Other artists work and literature that is informing some of hs ideas are Ray Richardson, Rolland Barthes, Peter Howson, Paula Rego, John Kirby and especially Stephen Conroy. Conroy's earlier work including a piece called ’Something special for Tea’ displayed all the qualities Aiden is aiming for in his own work, for example: the way Conroy uses light to direct your eye around an image or the way Conroy uses objects to cut up areas of space creating depth a strong sense of depth and perspective. Christian Metz has been a strong influence behind the narrative within his work. Metz published an article called ‘Photography as Fetish’; in this article he explains his beliefs on the connections of photographs with death, something that has a direct connection to the nature of the narratives in Aidens work.

Education:
De Montfort University, Leicester.

• Date started to date finished: 09/2006 – 06/2009
• Name of course: Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree. (B.A. hons. Fine Ar. Degree)
• Grade gained: 2:1. (Second class honours degree, upper devision).

Norwich city college, Norwich.

• Dates started to dates finished: 09/2004 – 05/2006
• Name of course: BTEC National Diploma Fine Art
• Grade gained: Triple Distinction

Artistic acheivments:

• At Norwich college I was printed in the local newspaper for a painting I created inspired by the Olympics.
• From the grades I gained at college I was given an academic scholarship throughout my time at college
• I was part of a committee last year at De Montfort University that organised an art auction. This auction was organised to raise money for the cost of printing the third year fine art student’s degree show catalogue. It was a great success. I was in charge of collecting and cataloguing the art works.
• I’ve hosted an interview with the artist Sata Hashem.
• Last year I and a colleague of mine were employed by Milky Way day nursery to create and paint a design for a mural to cover a 9 x 2 meter wall. The design we came up with was a vibrant and educational painting that worked extremely well. We were printed in many publications around the university and in the local paper, Leicester Mercury.
• I helped organise and took part in the 2009 De Montfort fine Art student final year exhibition.
• I have also hosted a talk about my own work to the whole of the 09 3rd year fine art students of De Montfort University.
• I hosted a talk about the Fine Art course at De Montfort university at Kings school in Gutersloh, Germany.