Beauty is an option for art and not a necessary condition. But it is not an option for life. It is a necessary condition for life as we would want to live it. (Danto, 2003, p. 160)
The collaborative project “girl;interviewed” was undertaken by Pawlu Mizzi in collaboration with friend and photographer Kenneth Borg between 2006 and 2008. Over the course of eighteen months, they dedicated themselves to extensive research and production, resulting in a captivating display featuring Borg’s photographic portraits alongside Mizzi’s skillful digital reinterpretations. The culmination of their efforts was an exhibition held at the Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa from October to November 2008.
The project revolved around approaching and establishing connections with eleven young women, initially selected based on their social media profiles on hi5. Rather than simply capturing their images, the artists took the time to genuinely understand each girl’s personality, lifestyle, and cultural background. This profound understanding served as the wellspring of inspiration and reasoning behind their respective artistic creations.
Mizzi, entrusted with the task of digital reinterpretation, employed a seamless blend of handcrafted and digital interventions to reimagine details from Kenneth’s photographs. Their approach demonstrated a delicate balance between artistic freedom and technical prowess, resulting in a visually compelling body of work.
Above all, “girl;interviewed” sought to delve deep into the realm of femininity and ignite a profound sense of respect and admiration for women and the multifaceted female experience.
During the exhibition’s opening evening, artist Alfred Camilleri provided this commentary, offering insightful reflections on the project and its significance:
” Ladies and gentlemen, I extend my greetings to all of you.
Throughout my teaching career spanning thirty-six years, I have encountered numerous enriching experiences that continue to bring me satisfaction. However, there are two specific situations that hold a special place in my heart. Firstly, witnessing a student’s growth and progression in their artistic career even after they have graduated. This particular situation applies to Paul Mizzi. Secondly, encountering a former student after a considerable number of years, who recognizes me while I fail to recognize them until they remind me that I had taught them. This happened with Kenneth Borg.
I am deeply grateful to both of my former students for granting me the privilege of introducing their exhibition today. The exhibition featuring the works of Kenneth and Paul is distinctive in nature. Although the use of cameras and computers is common in the realm of visual art, the underlying concept of this exhibition sets it apart from others in the same category. In art, the process and the concept often hold equal, if not greater, importance than the final outcome.
The works displayed in this exhibition were the result of a preliminary phase, during which these two artists sought to deeply understand each individual who served as a model for the exhibited pieces. Thus, the title chosen by Paul and Kenneth for this exhibition, “girl;interviewed,” directly refers to this initial stage where the two young artists endeavored to intimately acquaint themselves with the character and personality of each model. This was accomplished through informal conversations before and during several photo sessions held in diverse and evocative locations.
Although Kenneth and Paul’s works originate from the same point of departure, namely the model as the primary source, they diverge in contrasting directions. Consequently, they are two parallel binaries connected solely by their shared theme. I perceive Kenneth’s works as falling within the genre of classic and monochromatic photography, predominantly black and white. His photographs place utmost importance on capturing the unique identity of the person in front of the lens, skillfully framed by the keen observation of the photographer. Additionally, Kenneth’s meticulous attention to the background, focusing on texture and shapes, further integrates composition with his individual expression. On the other hand, Paul’s works evoke elements of Pop art, a stylistic development in the history of modern visual art. In this case, the photographic portrait, initially captured by Kenneth, undergoes a graphic metamorphosis through colorful interventions. The figurative merges harmoniously with the abstract in a clean and balanced manner.
However, above all, this exhibition showcases contrasts. Contrasts between two individuals who approach their work individually while also collaborating together. We observe a contrast between the frozen, solitary moments captured in Kenneth’s personalized portraits and the spontaneous energy, akin to a jazz evening, emanating from Paul’s graphically stylized pieces. Furthermore, there is a contrast between the delicate nuances of light, shadow, and darkness in Kenneth’s photographs, and the vibrant explosion of harmonized hues in Paul’s works, resembling silent firecrackers of color. This exhibition encapsulates the contrast between the sophisticated, occasionally austere atmosphere found in Kenneth’s photos and the extroverted, celebratory ambiance in Paul’s.
These contrasts are intriguing, just as it is equally fascinating how these very contrasts complement the unique attributes of the models—their diverse tastes, hairstyles, and the natural ways in which they convey their personalities. Ultimately, I believe that all these aspects contribute to the distinctiveness of this exhibition, characterized by its diversity. This diversity is evident and arises from the complete collaboration among the individuals involved in this project, each contributing their diverse ideas and preferences, while retaining their individuality and expressing it.
In conclusion, I have nothing left to say except to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Kenneth and Paul. I wish them every success as I officially declare this exhibition open. Thank you.”
Alfred Camilleri
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girl;interviewed kien proġett kollaborattiv bejn Pawlu Mizzi u Kenneth Borg bejn l-2006 u l-2008 li laħaq il-qofol tiegħu f’wirja li saret fil-Mużew Marittimu ta’ Malta fil-Birgu bejn Ottubru u Novembru 2008. Wara tmintax-il xahar ta’ riċerka u produzzjoni, ir-ritratti ta’ Borg u l- interpretazzjonijiet diġitali ta’ Mizzi ġew murija flimkien b’mod rispettiv.
Dan il-proġett wassal lill-artisti fi proċess li fih identifikaw u saru jafu ħdax-il tfajla. L-identifikazzjoni saret permezz tal-profili tal-midja soċjali tagħhom fuq il-pjattaforma hi5. Kull tfajla aċċettat li l-artisti jsiru jafuha kemmxejn mill-qrib f’intervista informali li fiha stħarrġu aspetti familjari mal-personalità tagħha, l-istil ta’ ħajja tagħha u l-kultura tagħha. Dan kollu serva bħala ispirazzjoni u raġuni wara kull xogħol rispettiv.
Following Borg’s distinctive photographic workshops with each girl, Mizzi reinterpreted a detail of each through physical and digital interventions.
girl;interviewed kienet meqjusa mill-artisti bħala “għawma fil-femminilità”, avventura li tevoka rispett u ammirazzjoni lejn in-nisa u d-dinja femminili.
Hawn huwa l-kummentarju tal-ftuħ tal-esibizzoni li l-artist Malti u eks-għalliem ta’ Borg u Mizzi, is-Sur Alfred Camilleri, għoġbu jipprepara u jaqra:
“Sinjuri insellmilkom.
Fil-karriera tiegħi ta’ għalliem, li s’issa laħqet is-sitta u tletin sena, fost dak li tgħani u għadu jgħatini sodisfazzjon, hemm żewġ sitwazzjonijiet partikulari. L-ewwel, ta’ dak l-istudent, li wara li jkun spiċċa mill-iskola, b’xi mod jew ieħor tibqa’ tarah jikber maż-żmien u jimxi ‘l quddiem fil-karriera artistika tiegħu. Din is-sitwazzjoni tgħodd għal Paul Mizzi. Imbagħad hemm dak l-istudent, li wara l-aħħar lezzjoni, imur għal triqtu u ma tarahx aktar, sakemm xi darba, wara numru ta’ snin, tiltaqa’ miegħu, u għax ma tgħarfux jgħidlek “int kont tgħallimni”. Hekk ġara fil-każ ta’ Kenneth Borg.
Grazzi minn qalbi lilkom iż-żewġ eks-alljevi tiegħi, ta’ dan il-privileġġ li tgħajtuni illum biex inkun jien li nintroduċi din il-wirja tagħkom.
Il-wirja li għandna ta’ Kenneth u Paul hija wirja kemmxejn partikulari. Dan għaliex għalkemm il-kamera u l-kompjuter huma għodod popolari fil-qasam tal-arti viżiva, il-ħsieb wara din il-wirja pjuttost jiddistingwiha minn oħrajn li wieħed jista’ jassoċjahom fl-istess kategorija. Fl-arti, ħafna drabi, il-proċess flimkien mal-kunċett għandhom importanza daqs jekk mhux aktar mir-riżultat finali u komplut.
Ix-xogħol li qed jiġi esebit f’din il-wirja ġie determinat minn fażi preliminari, fejn dawn iż-żewġ artisti fittxew li jsiru jafu kemm jista’ jkun kull persuna li madwar id-dehra tagħha inħadmu ix-xogħolijiet li hawn esebiti.
Għalhekk it-titlu li Paul u Kenneth għażlu għal din il-wirja “girl;interviewed” (tfajla intervistata) letteralment jirreferi għal dan l-istadju preliminari, fejn iż-żewġ artisti zgħażagħ fittxew li jsiru jafu kemm jista’ jkun mil-qrib il-karattru u l-personalità ta’ kull mudella. Dan sar permezz ta’ konverżazzjoni informali qabel u waqt numru ta’ photo sessions f’lokalitajiet differenti u suġġestivi.
Ix-xogħolijiet ta’ Kenneth u Paul, għalkemm għandhom l-istess punt tat-tluq, f’dan il-każ il-mudella bħala sors primarju, jinfirdu minn ma’ xulxin lejn direzzjonijiet kuntrastanti. Għalhekk huma żewġ binari paralleli magħqudin biss bejniethom mill-fatt li għandom l-istess tema. Ix-xogħolijiet ta’ Kenneth narahom fil-ġeneru tal-fotografija klassika u monokromatika, black and white, fejn l-identità unika tal-persuna quddiem il-lenti tieħu l-importanza kollha li jixirqilha waqt li din tiġi inkwadrata mill-osservazzjoni akuta tal-fotografu. L-attenzjoni minn Kenneth lejn l-isfond (il-background) f’termini ta’ tessitura u forom ikomplu jgħaqqdu il-kompożizzjoni mal-espressjoni individwali tiegħu. Ix-xogħolijiet ta’ Paul mill-banda l-oħra huma reminexxenti tal-arti Pop, li hija waħda mill-iżviluppi stilistiċi li seħħew fl-istorja tal-arti viżiva moderna. Hawnhekk, ir-ritratt fotografiku, f’dan il-każ, li jkun ħadem Kenneth, jgħaddi minn metamorfosi grafika ta’ interventi ikkuluriti u l-figurattiv jiġi kkombinat mal-astratt b’mod nadif u bilanċjat.
Iżda fuq kollox hawnhekk għandna wirja ta’ kuntrasti; kuntrasti ta’ bejn żewġ individwi li jaħsbu fuq dak li qed jagħmlu individwalment iżda wkoll f’kollaborazzjoni flimkien. F’din il-wirja nosservaw il-kuntrast bejn il-waqfien ta’ mument uniku fiż-żmien fir-ritratti personalizzati, kultant solitarji ta’ Kenneth u ċ-ċaqlieq improvizzat, bħal serata ta’ mużika jażż, fil-ħżuż tal-lingwaġġ grafiku ta’ Paul. Hawn għandna kuntrast bejn is-sottilezzi kultant delikati tal-passaġġ mid-dawl għad-dell u d-dlam fir-ritratti ta’ Kenneth u l-iskala ta’ lwien armonizzati li jinfirxu bħal murtali siekta tal-kulur fix-xogħolijiet ta’ Paul; għandna kuntrast bejn dik l-atmosfera sofistikata, personali, kultant awstera fir-ritratti ta’ Kenneth u dik l-arja estroverta u ta’ festa f’dawk ta’ Paul.
Interessanti dawn il-kuntrasti bħalma huwa daqstant interessanti kif dawn l-istess kuntrasti jikkumplimentaw il-fattizzi differenti tal-mudelli, tal-gosti varji tagħhom, ta’ kif jilbsu u jżommu xagħarhom, ta’ kif jittrażmettu, b’mod naturali, il-personalità tagħhom. Fl-aħħarnett inħoss li dawn l-aspetti kollha jagħtu lil din il-wirja karatteristika partikulari, dik tad-diversità. Din id-diversità hija ċara u hija riżultat ta’ kollaborazzjoni sħiħa; kollaborazzjoni bejn l-individwi nvoluti f’dan il-proġett, fl-ideat u l-gosti diversi tagħhom, waqt li kulħadd jibqa’ jżomm l-individwalità tiegħu u jesprimiha.
Ma fadalli xejn xi ngħid aktar ħlief prosit lil Kenneth u ‘l Paul; nawguralkom kull suċċess waqt li niddikjara din il-wirja miftuħa. Grazzi.”
Alfred Camilleri
