Study for Neon Skull

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on November 4, 2015 at 10:01am

Curator’s Comments:  

Study for Neon Skull is an intensely expressive small piece; universal emotion is concentrated in its subtle gesture and muted color scheme.  I was first drawn to the painting because of the sculptural quality of the head through gestural markings.  The chunky achromatic values nicely counter the quiet and understated background.  The slightly forward leaning posture also denotes the figure in contemplative repose, perhaps before action. The high chroma pink ‘neon’ line surrounding the exterior contour of the head creates an engaging and unusual visual tension, underscoring the movement and preventing the overall mood from becoming overly forlorn.  This piece appears considerably more delicate than many of your other boldly contrasted figurative works, but in fact displays a different kind of painterly confidence.