Small Plastic Baby
Oil on gessoed board
Oil on gessoed board
150x150mm
December 29, 30, 06
I've been meaning to paint this for a while now. I guess it's one of those little plastic figures from a child's doll house or something. It appealed to me, the way it sat bathed in the light, casting shadows. I guess it has many connotations. It could be Moses, or the infant Jesus, or just a plastic baby... My daughter, who thinks it looks decidedly disturbing, suggested I call it "Vitruvian Baby" after the famous Vitruvian Man. I played around with different light sources and directions and in some lights it had multiple shadows which gave it a kind of Krishna appearance. It also occured to me it was like kids making angels in the snow.
Paul, I love this one! "Vitruvian Baby" is a wonderful description and title too.
ReplyDeleteThere is something surgical and creepy about this one. Reminds me of Ron Mueck. Good stuff
ReplyDeleteEven though it's a small painting I get the feeling the baby is surrounded by a Vast amount of space which makes it seem isolated and vulnerable..almost threatening. Reminds me of a piece (sculpture) I saw in San Francisco years ago where an infant
ReplyDeleteis surrounded by rings of poodles. Same disturbing feeling..which means of course I love it..heheheh.
Thankyou for all the positive comments! I guess it is a disurbing one. I find it tricky giving paintings titles, as that pins a specific meaning to the subject. I've always felt that one of the differences between an illustration and a painting is the intent of the artist. When you try to give the subject a specific meaning you are illustrating it. There is nothing at all wrong with that if that's what you intend to do. I prefer paintings that are open to interperatation by the viewer. That's why painting can be such a rich and powerfull means of communication.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking for this baby for so long
ReplyDelete