What I did was this. I cut out lots of speech and thoughts bubbles, and stuck them all along the floor, beneath the artworks. People could then come along, and provide the portraits with 'thoughts' and 'feelings'. I discouraged people from looking up any information about the pictures until after they had done the writing; imagination was key. For some of the little children I acted as a scribe, and conversed with them in order to elicit their ideas.
What emerged at the end of the day was a rather surreal, frequently hilarious poem consisting entirely of lines that children came up with. Here it is. Enjoy!
Lines
from Children at National Portrait Gallery
I’m sad
because a bad man was pushing me
Where
is the maid with my toilet paper?
I want
a new baby
I am
asking Father Christmas for a gun to kill bad people
I am
bored because I’ve sat here for hours for a portrait
I am
sad because I have no cheese
I am
sad because I’m thinking of a sad story
Exactly
how long is my snooker partner going to leave me waiting?
I’ve
had enough! If someone asks me for one more thing...
I want
to be an artist.
My
beard is long because I grow it.
I want
more lions, because I want them in the museum
I want
you to hear me roar
I like
lions
Lions
are my favourite animals. Can you tell?
I’m sad
because I’m too fat
I told
you the world was round!
Is that
Australia?
I
wanted a painting of just myself, not with my sisters!
Tick
tock tick tock tick tock.
I am
serious because I’m thinking of a serious thing
I’m
going for ‘the mysterious look’.
