bed-of-roses

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on January 26, 2020 at 10:07am

Curator’s Comments:

 

Bed of Roses came up randomly on the site today, and I was drawn in by the way in which the twisting hair and Victorian-esque embellishments surrounded what I believe to be a more contemporary portrait.  The female subject doesn’t exhibit the frontal formality one would expect within such prescribed framing, and her slightly distant gaze is part of the unexpected allure.  It might also be the candid quality to her expression that sets off the contrast to the elaborate floral and hair decoration that conjure an effigy or old English mourning tradition. Looking to your other pieces on the sight, I was delighted to find her in your larger body of work- I had previously commented on the fascinating ensemble cast of figures in your pieces such as Dancing Princesses and Working the Red Carpet.  Those works demonstrate painstaking and smart historical research, but it was difficult for me to focus on any one identity within the lush pattern and decoration in which they shared a stage.  I’m happy to have been brought back to your work to see another approach- or window into one of the many complex characters that inhabit your fantastically constructed world.  Please do consider sharing your new work with us.