A community art project has been set up in Plympton to mark the 250th anniversary of Sir Joshua Reynolds’ election as the First President of the Royal Academy of the Arts.
The project aims to bring together the people of Plympton to create a collaborative community work of art on the theme of self-portrait.
The works are being achieved via artist directed workshops using a variety of self-portrait techniques and methods, including silhouette and tracing as well as exploring self-expression, a school participation competition and open entry to artists in the town.
Each portrait will be joined to form a tapestry of faces in the form of banners that will be exhibited in the Plympton St Maurice Guildhall for the month of December.
inspiring community members to find out more about their fellow historic Plymptonian and to make their own self-portraits
December is the month in which Sir Joshua Reynolds took up office at the Royal Academy back in 1768.
The project is formally called ‘A Portrait of Plympton’. The primary purpose is to celebrate the role of Sir Joshua Reynolds, Plympton’s most famous son, in promoting and developing art nationally.
The project is inspiring community members to find out more about their fellow historic Plymptonian and to make their own self-portraits as well as to bring together members of the community in a single act of art.
A number of workshops have been held in recent weeks and the aim is to achieve 250 self-portraits. This is a target, not a limit and by mid October the total to date stood at just over 180.
Local community groups, such as Plympton Painting Group, Guides and Scouts, and residential homes have been asked to take part and workshops have been offered to engage all age groups to contribute to the artwork.
One recent self-portrait contributor was a blind person. Organisers gave him high contrast media and let him choose a face shape template to feel his way around with charcoal.
The Plympton St Maurice Civic Association have been among those helping to fund the project and local artist Jill Griffin has taken the lead role in directing the project.
The exhibition will formally open on Saturday November 24 and continue throughout December.
(Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)
