girl;interviewed

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