The Ten Hours Project by Miles Noel

Constrained by a 10-hour time frame Perth artist Miles Noel has challenged himself to create a series of large-scale expressionistic portraits, documenting the process via time-lapse video.

An exhibition of this work takes place as part of the 2011 Northbridge Outskirts festival. Miles has allowed himself 10 hours per painting to complete a series of portraits inspired by his own photography of young local adults. In a pictorial explosion of form and colour, Miles begins each work with layers of spontaneous abstract painting effects to cover the canvas. His subjects are then rendered in semi-photographic realism, the artist fragmenting them into his loosely painted landscape. The end result is a striking juxtaposition of 2-D and 3-D painting effects.

Miles says, “This high-pressure, physically challenging exercise is an attempt to bring about a disciplined approach to my painting process, increasing my productivity and reducing the hesitation that stifles the expressionistic painterly effects I seek. The results have been fruitful and have enlightened me as to what I can achieve in a single painting session.” Producing the TEN HOURS portraits has forced Miles to trust his instincts, make good decisions and remain calm as the stopwatch counts down to his impending deadline. This scenario is akin to commercial creative industries such as advertising, graphic design and photography, as a disciplined approach is necessary in order to remain viable in such practices. As Miles describes: “Often artists don’t like to place themselves under such constraints as it can stifle creativity. But I disagree - in these situations, preparation, organisation and self-discipline become imperative. Then all you need to do is have faith in your creativity abilities!”

Every TEN HOURS portrait is a poetic analogy to the passage of time. Exhibited alongside each painting is the stopwatch that oversaw its creation as an integral part of the works’ conception. The evolution of each painting has been documented in a time-lapse video which will be screened as part of this exhibition. Offering a revealing insight into Miles’ creative process, this footage demystifies the transformation of raw material into a finished artwork. Each painting’s journey is condensed into just over a minute, accentuating the frenetic pace of modern commercial creative practice.