The British Hollywood

Millennium

Marysa could you please give us a brief introduction of yourself and your work

 

Marysa Dowling

My practice is centred around people and how we communicate and connect to each other, This is led by my constant curiosity about who we are as individuals and collectively as communities. Collaborative experiences, participation and exchange are key within my practice. Often I aim to build networks across communities, cultivating similar themes in various locations. The majority of my work is created through social interaction & co-creation.

In 21-22 I was part of a UCL project Trellis: Public Art. A programme of knowledge exchange between researchers and artists, which opportunities for collaboration between artists, researchers and communities. I collaborated with neuroscientist, Catherine Perrodin whose interest is in sound as a signal which can be recorded and read visually; and Liam Browne who research focuses on touch & pain. Our project Patterns of Connection focused on our joint interest in communication.

 

Millennium

Can you tell us a little bit more about your portrait of Andy Miller, puppet maker and theatre designer has been selected to win the BJP1854 Portrait of Britain award. Is it part of a bigger project or commission?

 

Marysa Dowling

Andy’s portrait was made during a 9 month project, Elstree: Behind the Scenes of the British Hollywood, part of the National Portrait Gallery’s People Powered project. The process involved working with students from Elstree Screen Arts Academy, the National Portrait Gallery and The Elstree Project to collect stories and create new art works connected to people who worked at Elstree film Studios. There’s such a rich, fascinating history at Elstree, we wanted to find people whose stories could illuminate more of Elstree’s history, and to celebrate these individuals. We focused on representing the experiences of people who were in front of the camera, behind the camera and making the set. Students created response through film, sound, miniature sets and collage, while I made a series of portraits of each subject. We took a trip to Andy’s workshop at the Museum of Making in Derby. Andy worked on the touring puppets for Bob The Builder, filmed at Elstree studios. He started exploring puppets around the age of 6, spending his free time making marionette puppets. Amazing to think about how he was drawn to his passion so early.

 

Millennium

What do you want the viewer to take from Andy’s portrait?

 

Marysa Dowling

As we entered Andy’s workshop, his extensive experience and understanding of materials and making came through immediately. He had fascinating selection of animatronics including a flying bat he’d made as an example for a workshop at the museum. I’m fascinated by our hands, what we can see in the movements and hand gestures, how we communicate who we are. Andy’s hands are so striking, I want the viewer to see something of his experience and ability to make and create.

 

Millennium

Why did you decide to apply to the award? 

 

Marysa Dowling

The Portrait of Britain felt like the perfect home Andy’s portrait, for him to be part of a wider story. Andy’s such an interesting subject. Until now an unseen part of Elstree’s history which I hoped to share. He also has a such presence in this portrait, his hands at the ready to make, dust on his overall’s, the pen and pencil in his pocket. It’s a joy to be a winner of this award, not only to share my work but to introduce Andy and share something of his story.

 

Millennium

Could you tell us about the 5 images that have been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery

 

Marysa Dowling

The 5 Red Curtain portraits are a series of portraits made during the Elstree project. Each sitter was involved in either making the set,  or made vital contributions in front or behind the camera. In the case of Louise Gold, her work crossed all these of these elements.

The subjects are Andy Miller who you’ve already met. Louise Gold, actor, singer and puppeteer in both the Muppets and the Dark Crystal film and recent series. My son asked me to give Louise a Fozzy Bear Lego mini figure as a gift, she pinned it to her lapel for the portrait. He’s delighted to have been involved in her portrait! Louise is holding a puppet made by a student. During her interview she transformed the puppet, instantly giving it a personality and unique voice. Truly amazing to see it brought to life. As a lifelong Muppets fan this was an especially exciting one for me. I loved meeting and chatting with each of the subjects, hearing their personal recollections of Elstree.

The joyous voice actor Marcus Bentley, was the voice of big brother, which is coincidentally returning this year.  Sue Harper who has many interesting stories about her time as a video assist operator on the film The Man Who Knew Too Little, filmed at Elstree in 1997.

Jenny Hanley, an actress, radio presenter and granddaughter of Lisa and Jimmy Sheridan who ran Studio Lisa. Jenny stared in a Hammer Horror film, Scars of Dracula, filmed at Elstree. She shared a hilarious story about the plastic bats that also star in the film.

To have this series of portraits in the National Portrait Gallery Collection is an absolutely delight. You see the interviews by the students here.

 

Millennium

What type of equipment you use, what camera you used?

 

Marysa Dowling

The 5 Elstree Red Curtain portraits were shot on a 5×4 monorail camera. I wanted to use a camera that involved a slow and performative process, that suited and referenced the subjects connection to the film & TV industry. Rather nerve rackingly it meant only shooting 3 or 4 portraits per subject for this. Alongside the Red Curtain works I made portraits on location with my RZ67, and a series of hand gestures with each subject and the students with my Canon.

When I’m working on personal projects or commissions the majority of the time I’ll use my Mamiya RZ67. The tone and colour of portraits made with the RZ67 is what draws me to it. Equally I love the ritual of making work with it. The sound of the camera and simplicity of the process. Limiting myself to a small number of shots, to looking down into the waist level viewfinder slows me down. For more participatory work, I use a canon 5D Mark II for its flexibility and speed. It’s perfect for achieving strong results that we can be shared and edited quickly.

 

Millennium

What’s next for you?

 

Marysa Dowling

I’m working on several longer term projects at the moment.

Marking my first return to Ireland to be with family post-lockdown in 2021, I started a new piece of work to try and reach into those feelings of longing and need for connection. This is a very personal project, about the loss of my mother, both to Alzheimer’s and finally her death I’m just starting to piece the ideas together, going slowly and gently sometimes, to listen to what’s floating softly below the surface. Considering the physical and emotional connections I have to these spaces, where generations of my family grew, played, worked and lived.

Currently I’m working with neuroscientists Liam Browne and Catherine Perrodin to develop Patterns of Connection into a longer term research project with UCL.

In June I’ll be returning to Guadalajara in Mexico, running an annual photography summer course at ITESO university. Simultaneously I’ll  be continuing a long term portraits project working with groups of women.

 

Marysa Dowling is a Millennium Images contributor, you can visit her website here and follow here on Instagram.