KEITH MALLETT : AFRICAN ARTIST
Born in Pennsylvania; formal art training at the Art Students League, and Hunter College in New York City. Mallett has worked in a variety of media from oils to acrylics, ceramics and printmaking.
“I have always been intrigued by the art of etching, but I felt intimidated by the mechanical process, and the use of the chemicals that it involved. Once I overcame my initial trepidations I found etching to be the ideal way to graphically express my ideas. I love working on the cold metal plate, using grounds and acids to fashion a warm image. It is a real thrill to lift the paper from the inked plate and see the completed impression.
Creating art has always been a joyful experience in my life, and I feel blessed to be able to share that joy with others.”
I introduced the work of Keith Mallett to my S5/6 Higher Art and Design students studying Portraiture to encourage them to look at and consider how to stylise a piece of art work. Within Critical studies students are studying Cubism and Picasso’s ‘Weeping Woman’ as it is such a strong painting with so much to comment and reflect on. To compare with this ‘Amy Winehouse’ by Contemporary artist, Peter Howson is also being studied. It is important for students to be made aware of a variety of styles and techniques which will hopefully inform their own work or at least become a development piece. Students are being encouraged to bring to class props, objects, personal items which will make their unit specific to them and demonstrate personalisation and choice. This also enables students to be responsible for their own learning and take ownership of a unit. Mind mapping, brainstorming , spider diagrams, studying the work of other artists have all taken place to prompt students at the start of the unit which is always the most difficult place to be, starting off on the journey of a unit of work. This is where support and scaffolding become a key feature of the learning and teaching process. A sketchbook or reflective journal would be most useful in order to record ideas. The visual elements of line, tone, pattern, shape, composition can all be discussed through this work as well as a strong sense of stylisation, somewhat reminiscent of the Cubists, with elongated fingers, necks, simplified, oval face shapes.
