untitled

Comment

Comment by T Oliver Peabody on August 3, 2014 at 2:46pm

Thanks for the critique!

Comment by Resident Curator on August 2, 2014 at 6:44pm

Curator’s Comments:

 

This untitled self portrait has a brusque freshness that comes from the pure gestural representation and unadulterated red and blue-black hues.  The cool facial shadows connect in such a way to partially obscure the face, while offering a transitory or fleeting expression.  The choppy changes in planar direction across the cheek and forehead are sculptural in nature, without utilizing an overt light source or chiaroscuro. I also like the close cropping of the scene, which suggests a faintly voyeuristic entry into the space.  It’s a welcomed contrast to your other head on self portraits.  Of this last grouping, I’m most attracted to the dark spit bite etching.  There’s a gritty, somber quality to the piece, as the head sinks into the almost black background. The eyes appear downcast, directing the viewer to the relatively empty bottom of the plate.  An upper body is implied through subtle value shifts, but this again appears transitory when viewed within your portfolio of more lucid corporeal forms.