Figures

This is another nude, painted in acrylic on a deep edge canvas. It’s another attempt to investigate methods of representing the human (female) figure in a style which seeks to emphasize the planes of the figure in space, as well as the interlocking shapes between the planes.

It’s based on a study from a recent life drawing class. The thinking behind the painting developed during its execution. At various stages I was thinking of works by Philip Guston, Jean Helion and Paul Klee. Once again, I was also thinking of Douglas Cooper’s (1970 p.33) book, “The Cubist Epoch”, in which we read that Picasso said of his own pre-Cubist painting entitled ‘Dance of the Veils (Nude with Drapes)’, 1907, that it should be possible to “‘cut up’ his canvas and having reassembled it ‘according to the colour indications… find oneself confronted with a sculpture.'”

This painting is part of a developing series in which, once again, I’m seeking to investigate and understand how to use those – notionally ‘simple’ – colour dimensions of hue, value and saturation so as to encourage the viewer to confront the contradictions inherent in representing a 3 dimensional subject on a 2 dimensional surface.

If the viewer is made to feel that the image portrayed is oscillating between abstraction and figuration, whereby, one minute a particular bounded plane is simply an abstract flat colour shape, then the next is recognisable as a foreshortened thigh projecting into space, then this painting will have achieved its objective.

Dimensions: 60cm x 80cm, supplied ‘unframed’ on a deep edge canvas which have been painted, so it may not need framing, depending on personal taste.

This is a painting of a reclining female figure reading a book, which was developed from a study produced during a recent life drawing class.

It’s part of a continuing series in which I’m investigating how far it’s possible to push the use of flat colour and interlocking shapes to represent the planes of the human figure in space without mutating into completely unrecognisable abstraction.

In this particular painting I tried to simplify the planes as much as possible and to reduce the representation of shadows to the absolute bare minimum required to make a coherent picture. I’ve also tried to reduce the geometric aspect of the shapes to try and create a ‘softer’, more organic, feel.

As well as my ongoing meditation on (/arm wrestle with!) Josef Albers’ book, ‘Interaction of Colour’, and a current interest in the work of Milton Avery, I was also inspired by a brief section in the Chambers Arts Library book, ‘Movements in Painting’ which discussed a French group called OuPeinPo (Ouvroir de Peinture Potentielle). Apparently, OuPeinPo “did not present itself as an artistic movement but as an inventor of constraints, structures, systems and methods”. As an example of their work, the book displayed a work called ‘Sleeping Kangeroos’ by Aline Gagnaire, in which coloured paper shapes were cut out and weighed, to ensure the exact same quantities of colour were used, which sounds like a fascinating idea.

This work is painted in pastel acrylic colours on canvas board.

In case it’s of interest, I’ve included a picture of the original study I produced below, but please bear in mind that it’s a (large A2) sketch completed in under two hours, so is rather loose and unpolished!

This is nude study developed from a painted sketch produced during a recent life drawing class (which can be seen in the background of the photograph of this drawing in my studio). The painting itself attempted to capture the light and colour of the model, whilst this drawing is an attempt to reinterpret that scene in order to emphasise the shapes and planes of the model in the space.

Whilst producing it, as well as my never-ending fascination with Picasso, I was trying to take inspiration from the delicate, spidery drawings of Cy Twombly, and the sensitive, yet tremendously sculptural, Shelter Drawings of Henry Moore.

It’s drawn in pencil on cartridge paper, is A2 size (84cm x 60cm) and is supplied unframed. As per my previous Seated Nude Study, I’ve purposely left the drawing ‘sketchy’ and unpolished as evidence of the process of discovery and of trial and error.

This is a painting developed from a previous preparatory piece, Seated Nude I Study.

I was thinking of the faceted figures painted by Picasso & Braque in their early Analytical Cubism phase and trying to seeing what would happen if I increased the number of planes/facets portrayed compared with my attempts at less faceted paintings such as ‘The Sculpture Garden’.

I’m keen to investigate if it’s possible to find a mid point between the beautiful, flat – almost ‘colour field’ – Abstract Realism(?) of artists like Milton Avery and Etel Adnan, and the faceted, almost 3D approach of the Cubists, in order to try and produce work that looks 2D and 3D at the same time.

It’s painted in acrylics on canvas board and is supplied unframed.

This a study for a potential painting of a seated nude, drawn in pencil on cartridge paper. It’s A2 size (84cm x 60cm) and is supplied unframed.

In it, I’m considering how to represent the planes of the human figure using simple monochromatic tones and varied mark making and smudging as opposed to previous investigations using flat colour.

I’ve deliberately left the drawing ‘sketchy’ and unpolished as evidence of the process of discovery and of trial and error by the ‘hand, eye and heart’ to quote David Hockney.

I was thinking of the faceted figures painted by Picasso & Braque in their early Analytical Cubism phase and trying to seeing what would happen if I increased the number of planes/facets portrayed compared with my attempts at less faceted paintings such as ‘The Sculpture Garden’.

I’m keen to investigate if it’s possible to find a mid point between the beautiful, flat – almost ‘colour field’ – Abstract Realism(?) of artists like Milton Avery and Etel Adnan, and the faceted, almost 3D approach of the Cubists, in order to try and produce work that looks 2D and 3D at the same time.