girl; interviewed an exhibition by kenneth borg and paul mizzi 10 October – 21 November 2008 Malta Maritime Museum − Vittoriosa
foreword; lisa gwen baldacchino Girl… not woman, not female, but girl.
Girl comes in different shapes, sizes.
This word suggests the period of
Sultry and seductive; carefree and
transition between childhood and
bohemian; poised and dignified;
puberty; that crucial period of change
exotic and mysterious: mere sets of
leading to the complete metamorphosis
adjectives… possessing distinct and
of the body into one replete with
diverse nuances of lure and fascination.
physicality, sexuality and ultimately, fertility.
or the capabilities of direction (linguistic or artistic) of a ‘master of ceremonies’.
of surroundings and settings, she takes on an air, an attitude, she becomes part of the framework, of the structure, of
Girl… not woman, not female, but girl.
with textured surfaces akin to a digital
consenting) persons, through elicitation
abstracted backdrops. Placed in a variety
Bright 80s flavoured posterised ‘interviews’.
between consenting (or non
environments, sparse landscapes or
nature. She becomes one of us.
images, combining popular culture
meetings; exchanges of information
of contemporary elements in urban
Girl in monochrome versus girl in colour.
Girl is the protagonist of this series of
Interviews generally denote formal
These are complementary couplings
silk-screen juxtaposing a collage of rich and intricate detail. Colour is contrasted by carefully orchestrated ‘exercises’ of artistic direction evidenced by play of light, shadow and a multitude of tones and in between gradations. Girl under scrutiny = girl laid bare.
Lisa Gwen Baldacchino graduated in History of Art in 2004, where she specialised in the study of women artists in the first half of the 20th century in Malta. She is currently reading for an MA in Cultural Heritage Management. She is also a freelance curator, whereby she has solely organised several art-shows and regularly helps with the logistics, research and production of larger events. She currently works as a full-time multi-media journalist with The Times of Malta.
kenneth borg
paul mizzi
Born round about springtime of 1982, some time between
27, graphic designer, inspired by perfection, the female body, the
midday and two, Kenneth was led to love dusk, dawn
works of Alphonse Mucha, Piet Mondrian and Richard May, the
and the spread of hours of sunlight in between. Moved
thoughts of Marco Castoldi, alternative music, philosophy, common
by light and the way it paints itself unto almost any living
people and anything creative. Passionate for the city of Valletta,
or non-living thing, it did not occur to him, until the
midnight thoughts, writing, football, two dimensional graphics and
mid-90s, that photography would be the major medium
organising events. Co-founder of the now defunct Alternative Malta
with which he would appease his craving for light.
music community.
It was then that his very long engagement began.
Born on January 28, 1981 to Vincent and Mary Grace, Paul
In the following years and heavily influenced by photographers like Nikola Borissov, Eolo Perfido and the late Jeanloup Sieff,
familiarised himself with the arts through the skills of his seamstress mother and the colourful flair of his father and older sister Joanne.
Kenneth taught himself to look closer, whilst drawing personality,
Completed various art courses at the De La Salle School of Arts and
emotions and style out of whatever he captures on lens.
a 4-year diploma course at the Art & Design Centre in Valletta, the
Between one click and the next, he spends his time sipping wine, watching old flicks and travelling to mainland Europe and beyond, forever pursuing anything that might quench his thirst for inspiration. For a full portfolio of Kenneth’s photography you can visit his website at www.borgkenneth.com
same city where he was brought up since age five. At the Centre, Paul experienced further tuition from Luciano Micallef, Alfred Camilleri, Donald Friggieri and the late Emanual Fiorentino among others. Following a ten year experience in the fields of pre-press, media, graphic design and printing, Paul is currently part of the dynamic design studio at JP Advertising.
the concept
ity of persons rather than “Dig within the individual front of appearances.” halting your research in
our gratitude
Kenneth and Paul have been friends ever since secondary school having
Relatives & friends – Deepest and heartfelt gratitude goes to
attended St. Paul’s Missionary College throughout the 90s. However, it
Deborah, Claudia, our families, closest friends and colleagues for their
was only three years ago that they got to know each other’s interests.
never-ending support, encouragement and assistance to make this
This led to the birth of an idea, and eventually an 18-month project.
event possible.
At the basis of the inspiration behind this exhibition, Kenneth and Paul put
The featured girls – Sarah Borg, Deandra Scerri, Yasmin Modi, Ilona
their belief in interaction of different art media. They want to promote the
Attard, Audri Mizzi, Jennifer Busuttil, Mona Debono, Marie-Louise
combination of techniques and the innovative results that these blends
Vella, Karen Caruana, Janice Bartolo and Deborah Mifsud.
can give. The theme, common to both artists, is aimed at displaying the elegance and uniqueness of the portrayed individuals. Paul and Kenneth have put to practice their skills and art in order to interpret these persons.
Others who made this possible – God, Derek Grillo at Art Deco, Tanya & Frederick Carabott at Dota Framemakers, Joseph Vassallo at Bold Advertising, Joanna Ward at Xara Palace Relais & Chateaux, Claire
A journalist would evoke interest in these eleven personalities through
Cacciottolo at Image Systems Ltd, Stefan Abela at BOV, Pierre Bonello
words, phrases and stories. Instead, Kenneth and Paul are using
at Heritage Malta, il Gongolo, Alfred Camilleri, Antonella Cutajar,
the camera, colour and shape to achieve just about the same goal:
Christine Said, Ernest Barry and Adrian Attard, Ingrid Dalli, Johanna
the upshot of an interview. This was done with the sole intention
Calleja, Katya Borg, Laurence Grech, Lisa Gwen, Manuel Magri Conti,
of turning portraits into stories and not just mere pictures.
Notary Charles Vella Zarb, Roberta Bonnici, Winston Zahra and Yi Liu.
This public display is an elegant tribute in respect of women’s rights
Last but not least, the late Emanuel Fiorentino for dedicating his life
and female dignity within our modern community. Kenneth and Paul
to Maltese Arts and Culture and for always being a friend, ready to
support Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign.
support our first exhibition. Thanks Lino!
girl; interviewed yourfaces@gmail.com • [+356] 79056738 • [+356] 79333737 Kenneth and Paul support Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign