Florence - Blue Shades

Florence, the sitter, is an artist who performs contemporary dancing. The painting is an attempt to transcribe the extreme tension the body is subjected to:

Arms stretched to the full, reaching down rearwards, shoulders very nearly dislodged, rib cage heaving, abdomen tensing up, neck craning, chin jutting up, lips and eyes tight shut. One cannot but feel the strain.

The posture is almost climactic.

 

The palette of blues is dominant and by no means cold. It heightens the brightness of the flesh and enhances the reflection of the light.

 

The stylistic approach combines classicism and modernity.

The nude, far from graphic, is an investigation. An inquiry into the confines of the flesh.