thecentre:mk shopping centre Portrait of a Genius – Art Exhibition March 2009

Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, March 23, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Milton Keynes Contemporary – Whitewall at, regional shopping destination, thecentre:mk presents a new work by British photographer Marko Dutka. The project is a collaboration with ‘classic’ model Daphne Selfe, a supermodel of her profession, entitled “Portrait of Genius” and runs from 21 March – 17 May.

The concept behind the exhibition is to produce a set of images that refer to Old Master paintings and the notion of Genius. However, the intent of the work is to question the real meaning of the word as it is a male specific term and can’t semantically be applied to women. Thus the images will consist of each portrait referring to a famous old master including Titian, Rembrandt and Van Eyck, replacing the artist with Daphne.

Marko said “By using Daphne I’ve been able to investigate ongoing concepts of the male exclusivity of genius and question the status of the male gaze and the female object. The subject has influenced Western society’s pre-conceptions of gender roles throughout the history of art.

Also the exhibition investigates the lineage of fashion photography and its historic links to fine art painting a subject which is central to my practice.”

Daphne Selfe has a wide-ranging profile having been photographed by photographers including Rankin and Nick Knight. She has appeared in the UK TV series ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ and in Will Young’s Video for ‘Light My Fire’. She has also been photographed for a variety of designer campaigns including Moschino and she was photographed by Mario Testino for Dolce & Gabbana. Meanwhile, Marko has exhibited in National and International publications and books and won 36 major photography awards since 2004. He was nominated for the British Professional Fashion photographer of the Year in 2006 and his work has been exhibited widely including the RWA's ‘Through the Lens exhibition’ in 2008 and several times with the Royal Photographic Society.

“Whitewall has been delivering contemporary fine art to the masses of Milton Keynes for over two years now” commented Jackie Tracey, Events Manager at thecentre:mk. “With this show, Whitewall has secured a renowned photographer and model to question the very fabric of our preconceptions surrounding ‘Genius’.

At the very least the images will cause the audience to question their influence in the society around them, whatever their sex.”

For more information on past and future Whitewall exhibitions please visit.
A catalogue accompanies this exhibition and is available from Waterstones Bookshop in thecentre:mk, or directly from the Whitewall Website.

Venue: Milton Keynes Contemporary – Whitewall
thecentre:mk, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EA.

Telephone: 07866804354
Opening Times:
Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat - 9.30am - 6 pm
Thursday and Friday - 9.30am - 8pm
Sun - 11am - 5pm
Admission: Free

Creative Team:
Rob Cartwright. Artizan. Bath. Hairstyling.
Phil Thompson. Artizan , Bath. Hairstyling.
Claudia Spoto. Makeup.
Eleni Kyriacou. Makeup.
Daphne’s clothes provided by Suzanne Temple of Blue, Bath & Cheltenham.
Studio Manager. Marcus Arthur
Nicola Donovan, Creative Consultant

Sponsors:
Other sponsors are DaviesColour and Creative Backgrounds.

About the venue
This unusual contemporary art venue, inside a shopping centre in Milton Keynes, has been set aside for exhibitions specifically commissioned from a wide variety of artists over 8-week periods. Called Milton Keynes Contemporary - Whitewall, it is over 18 metres long, located at one of the busiest entrances. As the public enter, they walk directly past the exhibition. The exhibition space is located in Midsummer Arcade, adjacent to John Lewis.

The centre constantly evolves its public spaces, providing visitors with cultural, entertainment and other attractions - in this case, bringing contemporary art directly to them during their shopping experience.

The area gives highly talented local and regional artists who are not part of any national touring circuit, an opportunity to show their work and engage with a much wider audience than usual.

The project is run as a professional gallery space to develop the profile of regional and invited artists and presents a variety of themes within a range of different media.

Exhibitions are selected from artists who can present and demonstrate exceptional creative vision and whose work is suitable for Milton Keynes Contemporary - Whitewall. Artists are asked to consider how they can adapt their practise and themes to present an 8-week long public art installation. A high proportion of exhibition themes will refer to Milton Keynes in some respect and artists are invited to submit proposals based on specific criteria.

The space has been made available and funding for the entire project supplied by, thecentre:mk - and is curated by Justin Neal, himself a well known and respected artist based in Milton Keynes.

More about thecentre:mk
Media information: Mike Graham, PR Officer on 01908 398132 or the Marketing Team on 01908 678641

Please note: When referring to ‘thecentre:mk’ please ensure that it is spelt only in lower case and as one word with no spaces.

High-resolution images are available electronically.

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