The exhibitions I’ve chosen to look at were both inspired by previous artworks or writings. I felt that in order to understand the themes within each exhibition I would have to research this. Charles Baudelaire’s 1863 essay The Painter of Modern Life, based on Constantin Guys, was the inspiration for The Painting of Modern Life. I can see that the curator; Ralph Rugoff has drawn on many of Baudelaire’s theories with reference to subject matter and paint application; “In the daily metamorphosis of external things, there is a rapidity of movement which calls for an equal speed of execution from the artists.” (Baudelaire, 1964). To me, this not only means a physical speed, but also an ability to keep up with social changes to keep the imagery up to date; a sensitivity we see in the 22 artists who exhibited at The Painting of Modern Life, including detail in architecture, fashion, lifestyle media images.
Dear Painter, Paint Me... Painting Since Late Picabia serves as a round-up of 18 figurative artists that have focused on the figure since Francis Picabia. Picabia was something of a wild-card of his time, never settling for one definitive style, instead experimenting with movements from Cubism to Surrealism. This exhibition was
inspired by his “academic kitsch nudes of the late 1930s.” (Smith
2002). In researching the work of Picabia, I have looked closely at one
of his paintings that is featured in the catalogue for Dear Painter,
Paint Me... . La Femme Blonde/ La Blonde, 1942 shows a naked woman
part-covered by a curtain. The canvas is 106 x 76 cm, cropping woman at
the front of the image and making her nearly life-size, a testament to
the realism of the image. The paint is thickly applied with varying
brushstrokes. The figure is delicately built up showing strong
attention to detail, contrasting with the faster application in the
background and curtain. Another way Picabia draws our attention to the
figure is by centralising it in the composition, and using hot fleshy
colours on the figure contrasting with the blues and browns in the
background. The colours throughout the canvas are warm and gloomy
suggesting a dark room and a warm climate, this adds sensuality to the
image.The relaxed pose of the figure implies that she knows the painter; “Picabia did many paintings of lovers” (Gingeras, 2002, 31). She holds back the curtain to reveal herself suggestively, her gaze out of the frame indicates another figure. The figure has no imperfections and is glamorised with make-up; implying image-consciousness, and that Picabia saw her in an idealised way. Her coifed hair is the one inconsistency in the image, the title says blonde, however the figure is brunette, with dark eyebrows. “Painting remains the expression of an exceedingly human need for mark making- a basic urge to communicate like speech, writing and song.” (Smith 2002), we see this in Picabia’s work; although he experimented with different movements, his forceful voice was often evident. Through the work of both Elizabeth Peyton and Kurt Kauper, we can see inspiration taken from Picabia’s figure paintings; his almost caricatured models are “not so far removed from Elizabeth Peyton’s contemporary paintings of celebrities.” (Gingeras, 2002, 31). However; “Picabia’s most obvious heir is Kurt Kauper, whose vivid portraits of Cary Grant also oscillate between irony and fantasy.” (Gingeras, 2002, 31). We see extensive variation in styles and subjects approached throughout the exhibition, with the focus on the way these painters portray the figure, and how they use this to reflect their chosen subject matter; “painting retains a special potential for conveying thought through touch and materials.”. This shows a different priority to The Painting of Modern Life where Rugoff directed our attention towards the subject matter primarily. A further comparison to be made with The Painting of Modern Life is the focus on photography, or lack of it in Dear Painter, Paint Me..., there is a degree of fantasy in many of the paintings exhibited by artists such as Neo Rauch and Sigmar Polke, this gives the viewer a wider idea of how modern figurative artists see the world around them and relay that to the viewer.
I didn’t see Dear Painter... Paint Me (2002), this has been a hindrance to my essay because I wasn’t able to see how Gingeras placed the paintings in relation with each other, such as; at The Painting of Modern Life, Rugoff placed Elizabeth Peyton’s small boards alongside much larger pieces to show contrast. It also made it harder to notice any themes within the exhibition, I had to rely on the catalogue which gave me a disjointed idea of the works displayed. 18 figurative painters brought a diverse compilation of images to the show and all of my artists exhibited. The exhibition was shown at the Pompidou Centre, Paris, the Kunsthalle Wein, Vienna and the Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, vast and impressive spaces to host this vast and ambitious exhibition.
The Painting of Modern Life, 2007 was the debut exhibition for curator Ralph Rugoff at The Hayward Gallery in London. He made it an astounding success; exhibiting over 100 paintings from 22 artists could have resulted in a dauntingly vast exhibition. Rugoff cleverly split the work into categories that acted like chapters to the exhibition, the wide range of imagery allowed the viewer to see how many different painters view the world around them. The segregated exhibition was digestible and decidedly post-modern, it had a strong narrative and focus on subject matter, relating closely to my artists (with the exception of Alex Katz whose focus is solely on the light within an image). The paintings were grouped by subject matter, from politics to leisure. This directs our attention where the curator wants it, adding to the post-modern narrative, also supporting the running theme of social awareness amongst figurative painters in the exhibition, and confirmed in Rugoff’s essay accompanying the exhibition; “Drawing from a vast archive of existing photography, artists were able to re-introduce a broad range of socially-inflected subject matter into the field of painting.” (Rugoff, 2007, 10), in which he reflects upon the relationship between painting and photography.
The Painting of Modern life drew on the phenomenon of how we represent the world around us visually. “The show plotted painting’s growing ease with photography.” (Campany, 2008), the exhibition not only shows how photography can be used as an aid for painters, but also painters’ sensitivity for the way media images shape the way we see the world, a subject picked up on by Elizabeth Peyton and Kurt Kauper. This close relationship between painting and photography manifested itself in realism throughout the exhibition. The artists exhibited used props in their images, making subtle reference to cultural and social aspects of the world they live in. I have mentioned a few times the artists presenting us with ‘the world they live in’, throughout the exhibition I noticed artists showcasing cultural trademarks from their native countries, such as Liu Xiaodong’s attention to Asian fashion and Robert Bechtle’s American ideals. The Painting of Modern Life deals with the subject of everyday life, an exhibition with a social conscience; Malcolm Morley sums this up with his imagery contrasting greatly from paintings of the upper middle classes enjoying leisure time (On Deck, 1966), to the dark side of a more impoverished society depcting vandalism and rioting (Wall Jumpers, 2002). The theme of social awareness is presented to the viewer throughout the exhibition quietly, by virtue of the carefully exhibited artists’ work. Elizabeth Peyton is the only artist I’m researching who exhibited at The Painting of Modern Life; this was due to the focus on the relationship between painting and photography, whereas Currin and Kauper’s images
are more posed. The exhibition also delved into social issues that
Katz’s work is not concerned with. Peyton’s small painting; Arsenal
(Prince Harry) was shown in stark contrast with many of the large and
dominating canvases exhibited, however Rugoff’s clever curation didn’t
allow it to be drowned. Bordered by generous wall space, they served as
an antidote to the imposing canvases of Morley and Kippenberger. I decided to look at the work of Elizabeth Peyton for a number of reasons. I was attracted to her delicate images as soon as I encountered them, their subtlety acted as a refreshing antidote to the epic images of artists such as Kippenberger and Doig in The Painting of Modern Life (2007). Aside from my emotional response to the work, other factors within her images caused me to look at them more closely. Peyton flatters her subjects, glamorising them using simple techniques employed by her classical masters- the ethereal gaze, the effeminate quality of their unnaturally pink lips and blue eyes framed by long lashes. Her androgynous figures draw inspiration from artists such as
Rembrandt
, revealing in this connection a certain timeless quality despite the
very current themes. Peyton’s subject matter is undeniably modern. Her
use of mass produced images and snapshot photographs is redolent of the
impact of disposible imagery on our modern lives. Peyton’s work is also
inspired by her taste in music, she paints her idols such as Kurt
Cobain, Richard Ashcroft and Jarvis Cocker. Alongside the musicians,
she has an enduring fascination with the Royal Family and Hollywood
actors, but also paints her friends, ‘normal’ people.I have chosen to look at Ben Drawing (2001) to get an insight into Elizabeth Peyton’s work. The first thing that strikes me is the scale, unlike many of her peers, Peyton opts to paint on compact boards, this suits her style, becoming part of the narrative. Barely bigger than a photograph, they evoke thoughts of intimate moments; Peyton states “For me it was always just about that person.” (Lafreniere, 2005, 252). There is a distinct familiarity and lack of formalism in this image, shown in her choice of title; we are only told that the person in the image is Ben, we are not told his surname. We know that Ben is drawing forming the basic narrative, however it feels as though we are looking at someone else’s holiday pictures; we relate to the image, but the viewer is at a slight remove. Peyton lets us into her world but only so far. Ben Drawing has a very open composition; although the figure is centered, his feet and hands fall off the edges of the board. Peyton’s
slightly skewed perspective in this image draws the viewer’s eye across
the plane of the image, leaving us wondering what else there is to see,
the horizon line has the same effect, it is unusually high making the
image feel cropped. The colours in this painting are mostly warm crisp
tones and don’t fade or merge at the edges, a hint of a warm climate
and a particular time of day when the sun is high. This is also implied
by the lack of tonality except beneath the figure, the light source is
above him. The props indicate of a warm climate; towels and a red boat
in the top left corner. The figure is a delicately presented, elegant
body depicted with sweeping brushstrokes and lines making Ben seem
almost androgynous suggesting innocence, however this is contradicted
by his tattoos giving us a hint of the figure’s personality and
background. Secondly, I felt compelled to explore how Peyton represents celebrities. Jarvis on Bed (1996) (Fig.2) shows Jarvis Cocker sitting on a bed, relaxed posture; seemingly at ease with the viewer. The composition is formal,
the
centered figure is surrounded by rectangles that frame it, however, the
props are cropped by the edges of the board. This open composition
suggests there is more to see beyond the parameters. The background of
the image is simple and roughly drawn in, substantiating this feeling
that we are not given the full story. The paint application in the
image is fast and fluid; the figure is markedly more worked up than his
setting, Peyton’s tool for telling us the focus of the narrative. The
fluidity of the paint gives an energetic mood, however it feels flimsy,
as if at any moment it could dissolve. This is telling of celebrity
culture; a moment of tranquility within the fast paced lifestyle. The
figure appears to be the constant in the image; the dark tones are
focused in his clothing and features, the brushstrokes are more linear
and narrow, thicker paint drawing our eye to him. The figure has relaxed, open body language. His legs are open, left arm resting between them suggesting a close relationship with the artist. The setting; a bedroom, confirms this to us, however the artist’s use of red across the image implies tension and intensity, confounding his relaxed demeanor. The title is descriptive, it gives a brief account of the scene, but lets the viewer decide the narrative. Peyton gives us just the first name of the figure, showing familiarity and contradicting his celebrity status. It is important to explore both the positive and negative reviews of my artists work. Ken Johnson comments “one can’t help wondering if the artist might not be suffering, as many of her subjects do, from arrested development. The paintings are looking formulaic.” (Johnson, 2001). Although I agree with Johnson to an extent, around the time of the article Peyton’s subject matter began to progress away from celebrities, and her focus moved to friends and family who she glamorised, and turned into icons by painting repeatedly; notably her boyfriend Tony. Her style is consistent, which may explain Johnson’s idea of a lack of development.
Peyton’s paintings aren’t obviously inspired by her masters, however on closer inspection, their hallmarks are
all over her images in subtle ways; “Her style is a strange blend: part
Abstract Expressionist, part Renaissance Miniature, with a touch of
Pre-Raphaelite Romanticism thrown in for good measure.” (Smith, 2005,
55). Peyton flatters her figures by following her own classical
formula; delicate features are accentuated with pink lips and
impossibly blue eyes, the men have an androgynous air of impossible
beauty, evocative 
of
Millais. Peyton’s subjects have an ethereal gaze not indifferent to
that seen in the work of Jan Vermeer. There is a touch of nostalgia in
her work for the idealism of the Pre-Raphaelites.I didn’t immediately feel drawn to the work of Alex Katz; I felt there was a disjointed narrative in his images; “Katz has no use for the metaphysics of everyday life, nor for any art world version of that metaphysics.” (Ratcliff, 2005). I felt that the faces often lacked definition “He repeats the same stereotypes for the human face and body,” (Hughes, 1990, 326). As I looked more deeply onto Katz’s images and researched his intentions, my opinion changed. He has an unwavering dedication to depicting the light within an image rather than the props and figures it touches. I saw his wife appear repeatedly, giving a personal tone to his work and showing a softer side to the often critical persona we come across in interviews; “ for Katz, the sum of all paradigmatic beauty appears in the face of his wife, Ada” (Ratcliff, 2005). Katz has been in the public eye for over 35 years with his imposing canvases. His paintings don’t always show figures, however it is a running thread throughout his career. Katz’s focus is on paint application, style and colour rather than the imagery he depicts. His main inspiration is light and fleeting moments, however, these images often include the figure, frequently Ada. Over the years he has become adept at depicting the figure in a definitive style.
Attention to detail is Katz’s strong point, he omits almost all hints of commercial imagery within his paintings, instead he suggests the era in which his images are created with subtle triggers such as fashion, hairstyles and social settings. A Katzian painting is completed in one session, giving them an undeniable energy that is
representative of the fast-paced world he inhabits in New York. His
back-catalogue is immense with a variety of images from many
perspectives, I have chosen to look at Grey Day (1990). Although the
title doesn’t tell us that the figure in the image is Ada Katz, however
from studying his work we recognise the distinctive way he depicts her.
The title describes what is happening behind the figure, a beach
setting with an overcast sky. The colours are very Katzian, “The
subject matter is the outside light” (Storr, 2005, 194), more
specifically, a certain type of light that Katz describes as ‘fast
light’. To me this means light at a specific time of day that makes
colours suddenly look bolder and warmer, just before the sun sets. It
is not only the sky that is grey in this image, a strand of grey hair
at Ada’s ear and her unusually solemn expression are also reflected in
the title. There are two contrasting methods of paint application on this canvas; the figure is very clear and defined with few visible brushstrokes, the background has a more painterly approach; evident in the sky where the viewer can clearly see large brushstrokes in the clouds. This gives the effect of a photograph with short depth of field; foreground in focus and the background blurred. The canvas is immense; over 3 metres wide, making the face at the centre much larger than life. This acts similarly to a billboard, with the image thrust at you like an advertisement; “painting on a large scale is not a new development in his career: back in 1977, for instance, he collaborated with a sign painter to produce murals for Times Square.” (Cohen, 1998). The panoramic canvas is unusual for a figurative painting; the shape we would traditionally associate with landscape, making the figure a part of the landscape. The canvas crops the figure at the chin and forehead presenting us with a very open composition. We are shown the figure at the foreground and the background in the distance beyond her, however the middle ground is a mystery, I feel as though there is a broken narrative in the image, an example of Katz’s focus on the process and light.
The second painting of Katz’s I am going to look at is February 5.30pm (1972). Another large scale canvas,
landscape
orientation to accommodate the six figures. The figures lend themselves
to open composition well, spread across the plane of the canvas and
over the sides, this contrasts with the traditional cropping of the
figures, just below the waist, the heads framed by the canvas. The open
composition is established by the gaze of certain figures travelling
out of the canvas. The irregular gazes of the figures, each focused in
different places, none making eye contact creates a strained
atmosphere; a scene of social compliance: “There is a lot of human
content in the pictures, and I do think that all my paintings are done
from a certain social standpoint.” (Storr, 2005, 16). Three of the
figures have closed body language, arms folded across themselves
suggesting unease, Katz included a lot of red tones to pronounce this.
Katz employs a strong attention to detail, we recognise hairstyles and
fashion from the 1970’s even though the title doesn’t tell us this,
patterns and shapes are delicately attended to. The same attention has
been shown to the setting; behind the figures we see a window and
beyond that a courtyard. In the darkness, behind the window, we see
light from other buildings and other figures suggested; representative
of city life with close architecture and lots of people. The title tells us it’s February, explaining the darkness at 5.30pm, the coldness of the season is reflected in the women’s pale skin and coldness towards each other. The figures are carefully drawn with smooth lines and clear blocks of colour; care to method showing again where Katz’s focus is: “To me, if the subject matter’s on top, it’s a very uninteresting image.” (Storr, 2005, 16).
Katz’s figures often seem at a noticeable remove from the scene they inhabit, frozen expressions with even skin-tones and well proportioned features with far-away gazes. His images have a timeless quality that reflects
the figures in Holbein’s paintings of the 16th Century, particularly
The Ambassadors; the figure seems like an afterthought with the
artist’s attention elsewhere in the image, for Katz this is the light,
for Holbein it was the setting, props and the anamorphic skull in the
foreground. Katz has a very well-honed system of layering his paint, a
traditional painter’s tool to create bold images with depth and
tonality. “What Katz cares about and decides to paint is often
beautiful.” (Ratcliff, 2005, 125) this is reflective of a painterly
tradition picked up on by Charles Baudelaire: “The more beauty that the
artist can put into it, the more valuable will be his work”. Katz
paints from a social standpoint, reminiscent of Constantin Guys’
drawings that were conscious of the world he iinhabited over a century earlier.
I chose to look at the work of John Currin firstly for his subject matter, over the last 20 years, he has addressed many different subjects and styles within his paintings of people (mostly women), from images verging on pornography to venus-esque figures and oddly traditional portraits. Currin’s nostalgic paintings are classically composed, however the subjects are anything but classical. His series of paintings of women with grotesquely large breasts in the 1990s thrust him into the spotlight. Suggesting mid-life crises and barbie-doll culture, they inspired feminist revolt by Kim Levin in a 1992 review for Village Voice; Levin urged readers to boycott his first solo exhibition at the Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York. Social commentary remains at the forefront of many of his images, Currin explores the dark side of human nature using an adept style of paint application and selective detail. Currin has a tendency to exaggerate his figures, almost to the point of caricature. He uses this as a tool to enhance his subject; awkward social scenes where his figures smile unnaturally widely, bodies enhanced, and dandy men with feminine faces and beards. Although Currin’s images aren’t obviously suggestive of modern society (there is little attention to fashion, interiors and hairstyles, the triggers we notice in Katz’s work), the subject matter he tackles is very telling.
In researching the work of John Currin, I am drawn to a series of paintings from the late 1990s featuring women with enormous breasts and seemingly cracking faces under the weight of liberally applied paint. In particular,
one
stood out for me; The Magnificent Bosom (1997) is unlike many of the
other paintings in this vain, the figure is alone and inhabits most of
the space within the canvas. The background appears hastily drawn in,
thin paint showing the ochre ground behind it, a hint of degradation.
The dark green tone of the background is unfeminine, a testament to the
figure’s state of mind? Currin states that “there are always burdened
women in (his) work” (Rosenblum, 2003). There is a distinctive method
of painting to this image, Currin depicts the clothing, hair and hands
with very smooth lines and brushstrokes, yet the neck and face of the
figure are built up with layers of paint applied with a palette knife a
commentary about aging female beauty; cosmetic surgery and make-up. This painting initially appears to be traditionally composed; the figure is centered and her head sits in the top third of the canvas, leaving little blank space, however, her left arm spills over the edge of the canvas and the eyes gaze out of the frame, making the narrative confusing and seemingly incomplete. The table that the woman rests on stops us from seeing the whole of her body; we are shown only what the artist wants us to see, crossed hands on the table are secretive and protective. The jacket that the figure wears is a similar tone to the background and table making her merge into it and seem to shy away from the viewer, yet the bold skin tones stand forward; Currin’s way of showing us the important parts of the image. The title of the painting is explicit, drawing the viewer’s attention directly to her presumably cosmetically enhanced breasts. We could see this as objectifying the woman, however ‘Magnificent’ makes it a compliment to the figure, whose body language suggests a lack of confidence. John Currin seems at times paradoxical; he teams modern ideas and theories with old-fashioned imagery. This
makes me wonder whether I can call Currin a modern figurative painter.
He doesn’t keep up-to-date with fashion like the other artists I’m
researching, however, he deals with very current themes such as plastic
surgery. I would class Currin as a modern figure painter due to his
source material, he takes inspiration from mass-media; “I like to look
at women’s magazines like Cosmo” (Steiner, 2003), he also sources from
television and fetish comics by Eric Stanton, this is reflected in the
clothing, hairstyles and body shapes Currin paints.The second painting by John Currin I’ve chosen to study is Three Friends (1998). It bears little resemblance to much of Currin’s earlier work; in this painting, he adopted a romantic and classical style, a strong indicator of Currin’s artistic influences; “Currin knows his old masters
inside-out.”(Rosenblum,
2003), the figures bear strong resemblance to Raphael’s nudes. However,
the subject matter is less classical; the three friends are entwined in
an awkward embrace with strong lesbian overtones, exaggerated by their
nudity. Unlike The Magnificent Bosom, the canvas acts as a frame
for this image, the composition is closed with the figures at the
centre and a dark background encasing them. The background lends a
sinister overtone to the image, the viewer is left wondering what
exists beyond the black nothingness behind the figures. Currin has
painted the ground with grass and flowers adding an organic note,
complimenting the ‘ripe’ bodies. The figures form a triangular shape at
the centre of the canvas, a clever tool to draw the viewer into the
canvas and direct attention to the important aspects. Their entwined
pose makes shapes in the spaces between them as curvaceous as the
figures; supplementing the feminine tone. The figures have an
old-fashioned venus-like womanliness that is in stark contrast with the
skinny models we see in the media daily, with the knowledge that Currin
uses social commentary within his work, this painting seems like a
rebellion against skinny-model fashion culture. The central figure is
dominant, forming the tip of the triangle, she is rather aloof. John
Currin is undeniably influenced by the Renaissance movement in his
classical nudes; he paid close attention to the way Renaissance
artists used a “traditional system of underpainting, modelling and
colour application.” (Rosenblum, 2003). He employs
an even finish on the surface, giving glamorised effect to the figures.
Like his Renaissance masters, such as Botticelli, Currin introduces a
strong narrative with subtle props and body language. The figures in
Currin’s work communicate closely with the background, and although the
background is often less detailed, Currin pays close attention to
colour and paint application, allowing it to work alongside the figures
in detailing the narrative. John Haber states that “John Currin lends
to German Renaissance nudes the vacuity of fashion magazines.” (Haber,
2000), I see the connection to media images, however I don’t feel that
this is a negative point in his work as mass-media is a huge part of
our modern lives; showing me that he is remaining current and
up-to-date. Likewise, Kauper is at the receiving end of Haber’s
criticism; “Kauper’s mediocre paintings of divas could have emerges
from Currin’s mass-market magazines.”.Kurt Kauper’s explicitly detailed figures appear airbrushed to perfection, this is particularly evident in the Cary
Grant series that depict the 1940s movie star naked in a lavish house.
Using a descriptive style inspired by Jacques-Louis David, Kauper
leaves little to the imagination. Giving the same attention to the
setting as the figure, he creates a photographic illusion. Kauper’s
glamourous images reflect modern commercial imagery, this is present in
his ‘diva series’ in which he shows unknown women in dramatic dresses,
reminiscent of opera stars. This shows a relationship to the work of 
Elizabeth
Peyton and also commenting on the ‘big brother’ society where anybody
could be famous for 15 minutes. I’m interested in Kauper as he often
works with the nude male figure, something that hasn’t been prevalent
in paintings of the figure since David Hockney’s homo-erotic paintings
of the 1960s.In studying the work of Kurt Kauper, I am compelled to explore the Cary Grant series, within this I have decided to look at Cary Grant #1 (2001). The first thing that strikes me is the scale; standing 228.6cm tall, the figure is almost life-size making it abundantly imposing. The composition of the image is formal, with the figure at the centre of the canvas and the background formed around it. The viewer is immediately aware of the
artist’s intention to make the figure the primary subject matter in the
image. The colours in the painting are bold almost to the point of
crudeness, there is a crisp quality to the light in the image. The
light from the fire to the right of the figure, and the light behind
him are secondary to another source we can’t see, this hidden light
source indicates, that the scene has been posed. The background
comprises of a fireplace and old-fashioned dresser creating a series of
rectangles; “This rigid glut of rectangles confirms that we are deep in
the heart of formalism” (Kostenbaum, 2007, 4). There is a strong
narrative within the image, tan lines on the figure suggest a warm
climate, the fire and light in the background show it is dark outside,
evening or nighttime. The clarity of the colours and smooth lines
depict cleanliness and neatness to the point of sterility, and the
figure’s flaccid genitalia substantiates this. An orchid stands in the
far right of the painting, a traditional symbol of beauty, refinement
and calm (Easy Flowers, 2008). The figure’s pose is relaxed and at
ease. Behind him stands a large mirror, showing us his naked shoulders,
the artist’s tool to confirm his presence and nudity in the scene,
telling me that he is alone in the space (with the exception of the
viewer), making the image into an intimate moment that would feel
intrusive were it not for his open posture. The title acts as a tool
for the artist to cement the narrative of the image, we recognise the
face of Cary Grant; simply using his name as a title plays on the role
of celebrities in modern society.I have looked closely at Diva Fiction #12 (1999). This painting presents us with a different type of formalism, the figure is once again centered on the large imposing canvas (223.5 x 120.7cm), however this time there is no
background
with the exception of the suggestion of space with shadows and tone.
The simple setting forces the viewer to direct their attention to the
figure, which is meticulously detailed and realistic. Celebrity is a
running theme for Kauper, his ‘diva’, unlike the Cary Grant paintings
is not a household name; “His divas are imaginary people who never
existed, yet still seem to have a personal story” (Weinhart, 2002), a
figment of the artist’s imagination. This diva has an almost
androgynous face; her femininity is presented to us in her hair and
dress. The lack of background is a tool; Kauper’s ‘diva’ needs no
introduction or setting, that she is a stranger to us turns the
narrative to the big brother phenomenon. The title of this painting is
very telling, a number in the series rather than a name; this affirms
her lack of familiarity with the viewer. There is a strong
contradiction in this image, the title, ‘diva’, suggesting fame and
strong temperament, however this clashes with the figure’s closed body
language. Her left arm is across her body, resting on her right
shoulder; this position suggests awkwardness and makes the ‘diva’ seem
wary and appear to shy of the viewer. As seen in the Cary Grant series,
Kauper often uses bright and crisp colours on his canvases. In this
instance, the lime background compliments the lilac dress, however they
are bold almost to the point of garishness at odds with the closed
figure and her muted brown hair. 
Kurt Kauper shows a strong connection to Neo-classicism with his equal attention to detail across the entire canvas. His classically masculine series of paintings of hockey players stripped of the props that define them have an essence of raw masculinity with their sports-defined bodies and a touch of heroism. There are often less than subtle hints of extravagance in Kauper’s images, such as the painstakingly detailed dresses in the Diva Series and the opulent settings in the Cary Grant series, showing inspiration from Ingres who often chose to set his figures in ornate settings. “Kauper’s technique is based on that of Jacques-Louis David.” (Karmel, 2007, 19) showing me that Kauper is not only inspired by his masters’ imagery but also the way they build their images.
I chose not to study two pivotal figurative painters of our time for several reasons. I decided to leave Lucian Freud out of my essay initially because he didn’t appear in either of the exhibitions I looked at. However, this wasn’t the only reason I chose not to study Freud’s work. Although I see great finesse in his work and admire it greatly, the mobid overtones and gnarled misshapen bodies; “sprawled, huddled, twisted, splayed; genitals slumped or parted at the painting’s apex, heads leaning or lolling, gaze glassy or averted, no eye-contact, no
dialogue,
nothing personal.” (Smith, 1999) make them uncomfortable to look at,
and a critique of the figure rather than a celebration. I was repelled
by a quote I read by Freud in which he described his reasons for
painting his aging mother following his father’s death; “She was just
terribly depressed... I started painting her because she’d lost
interest in everything, including me.” (Smee, 2006, 31). I found this
inspiration for making paintings alien to me and felt that I would
struggle relate to his subject matter. There is a lack of conversation
within Freud’s paintings, they seem to transcend time and culture, this
contrasts strongly with some of my main points of research. I also chose not to study the work of Jenny Saville. Her overtly fleshy canvases often have traces of a deep, blood red ground “suggesting darker analogies like surgery, deformity and torture.” (Smith, 1999). This is exaggerated by the awkward poses and foreshortened bodies, drawing attention to the
genitalia centred on the canvas. Saville likes to “exaggerate the age
old artistic obsession of the female nude” (Smith, 1999). Unlike
classical figurative painters, Saville does not attempt to flatter her
models, she de-sexualises the women she paints, exaggerating their
imperfections, and often choosing very fat, unhealthy looking models.
Saville’s paintings act as a critique of the modern woman’s figure and
the obesity issue that’s currently in the spotlight. Saville’s
unwavering focus on the figure often leaves the backgrounds in her
images either plain or extremely simplified, resulting in a similar
lack of narrative to Freud. If I were to study Saville’s paintings as
part of this essay, this could prove difficult as with the exception of
the obesity commentary, there are few hints to suggest that these
paintings were made in the period I’m researching. I am going to compare and contrast the ways my four chosen artists’ work approaches painting the figure in a modern way. Throughout their careers each artist has developed a unique style. Alex Katz has a distinct way of layering his paint, using a wet on wet process developed during his career. Similarly, Kurt Kauper builds his images up with paint, the resulting surface is very smooth with little evidence of brushstrokes. John Currin uses layering techniques to build his paintings, however in many of his images such as The Magnificent Bosom (1997) Currin lets some of the background remain visible. Elizabeth Peyton’s work contrasts strongly in this sense; her fluid paint application lets the viewer see down to the primed board.
All four artists employ a degree of realism in their work. Kauper’s images are almost photo-realistic and Katz uses varying levels of detail across the canvas to suggest photographic depth of field. However, Katz’s paintings lack the minute detail we see in both Currin’s and Kauper’s work. The realism in Peyton’s work comes from her source imagery; photographs and paparazzi snaps. She replicates the entire image, unlike many other artists who build their images from a number of sources. Peyton uses bold colours in her work and at times they help her to build a narrative, this is the case in Jarvis on Bed (1996) in which she uses a lot of red tones to generate a mood of tension. Katz also builds images with striking and crisp colours, however this is less to suggest a mood than an aid for him to describe the light. Kurt Kauper’s paintings feature very strong tones, Kauper uses the bold colours to make his realistic paintings appear as though they have been saturated with colour. John Currin seems less concerned with colour theory in many of his images, however his paintings of women with enormous busts often contained lots of sickly pinks to exaggerate the idea of aging femininity.
Each artist places importance on the figure within the scene, however the attention they give to the background and props varies. Kauper assigns the same level of detail to the background as the figure, this strongly contrasts with Katz who seems to switch to a paintbrush double the size for the background, telling the viewer clearly where the crux of the painting is. Likewise, Peyton puts much more detail into her figures than their setting. Currin varies the attention he gives to the figure and the background, depending on the narrative. John Currin uses composition as a tool to focus the viewer’s attention, often in a traditional way; centralising the figure on the canvas, a method reflected in Kauper’s paintings. Alex Katz often crops his figures, giving a movie still impression as though the picture is incomplete- this is particularly evident in Grey Day (1990). Peyton’s composition varies greatly, however she unwaveringly chooses images to work from with the figure at the centre and main focus.
Body Language is an important consideration when studying the figure, Kauper is particularly adept at this, notably in the Cary Grant series showing Grant startlingly at ease with his nudity in front of the viewer and Diva Fiction #12 (1999), in which we have a classic example of closed body language. Currin also focuses on body language to suggest how his figures feel and react to their surroundings, especially in the case of The
Magnificent
Bosom (1997), with the figure’s arms closed protectively around her
body. Body language is less evident in the work of Peyton and Katz
whose work is less posed and concentrates on a moment. Both Kauper and
Peyton deal with the subject of Celebrity Culture in modern society.
Kauper specifically focuses on the viewer’s preconceptions of what
makes a celebrity in modern culture and challenges this; in his
paintings of Hockey stars, “Kauper takes extraordinary athletes and
strips them of the props that identify them.” (Karmel, 2007, 19).
Elizabeth Peyton affirms the celebrity status of her subjects by
romanticising them, however in her images of intimate moments with
celebrities, using only their first names in titles, she tells us that
they are still normal people. Currin and Katz both paint everyday
people rather than celebrities, however, Katz’s recurrent theme of
painting his wife has turned her into something of an icon.Currin often uses the body of his wife as inspiration for the bodies of the renaissance-esque nudes he paints, mirroring Katz’s focus on his wife Ada and Peyton’s paintings of boyfriend Tony; it seems that painting loved ones is something of a theme amongst modern painters of the figure. The exception to this is Kauper who either concentrates on celebrities, or invents the figures he paints. This theme of loved ones has also spilled over into Currin’s subject matter, he has painted couples in the grips of the honeymoon period similarly to Katz; placed in the countryside, a symbol of fertility and regeneration, despite this not being the inspiration for Katz’s setting, it nevertheless shapes the final image.
Part of painting the figure is making the choice whether to glamorise it or criticise it. My artists all glamorise it, part of the reason I chose to study them in the first place. To me, this glamorisation seems to comment on the current theme of airbrushing we see in all the advertising and fashion images in the media. I see this in Kauper’s Cary Grant series; the figure is has no imperfections, even down to the neatly trimmed pubic hair and perfect tan-lines. A similar effect is present in Peyton’s androgynous and wispy figures, reminiscent of size-zero culture, and Katz’s smooth clean surfaces leaving no room for flaws. Currin allows his figures to be imperfect, however there is a running commentary in his images of women with oversized breasts describing the idea of cosmetic enhancement. Katz and Kauper use enormous canvases, often 2 metres at their widest point, these conjure images of billboards, in stark contrast to Peyton’s intimate paintings that are often little larger than her photographic source. John Currin uses modestly sized canvases, large enough to include all the detail he choses to include, yet the viewer can take in the whole canvas at once from a moderate distance.
Alex Katz deploys a large amount of social commentary in his paintings, documenting the world in which he lives, Katzian paintings often include images of suburban social groups, falling into stereotypes; Katz “highlights social artifice, a practice that leads some to conclude that he must be a satirist.” (Ratcliff, 2005, 94) . Katz relates strongly to Currin in this sense who often depicts the dark side of suburban life; “ an astute observer of human nature, delighting especially in the strange and the wicked.” (Rosenblum, 2003) such as the pressure on women of a certain age to modify their deteriorating appearance. The social commentary we see in Currin and Katz’s work contrasts with that of Peyton and Kauper; drawing mostly on society’s obsession with celebrity and the media, Peyton describes the issue of mass-produced imagery and our immunity to it; she paints newspaper and paparazzi photographs, drawing our attention to images we may otherwise overlook.
In 1990, Robert Hughes stated that “far from affording artists continuous inspiration, mass-media sources for art have become a dead-end.” (Hughes, 1990, 15). In part I agree with this statement, as I feel that artists such as Andy Warhol exhausted the possibility for re-creating media images as art in the 1960’s, however, since the media forms such a large part of our modern, western lives I would expect artists to draw inspiration from this, as in the work of Kurt Kauper and Elizabeth Peyton.
In conclusion, writing this essay has made me see figurative painters in a renewed light. Each of the artists I’ve researched has taught me something, over the course of this essay I’ve developed a relationship with each of them. From studying Kauper’s work, I have learned about how modern painters use traditional composition to frame the figure. Kauper’s vibrant palette gives his realistic figures a modern overtone and competes with the boldness of mass-media images, this ties in with his celebrity-based subject matter; showing me how style and subject can be interlinked in presenting the final piece. Each artist has shown me the importance of scale, and how it can shape the narrative of a painting; from Katz’s billboard-sized canvases, to Peyton’s intimate boards. Peyton and Katz have shown me how paint application is an important consideration; Katz layers his paint, achieving a thick surface making the image immovable, static. Peyton’s light washes feel as though they may dissolve. John Currin has opened my eyes to ways in which a nude figure can be sexual, yet not obscene.
I found that modern artists are intensely inspired by their masters, and that each has an individual set of painters they turn to for reference and for different reasons; Currin looks to Rennaisance artists for inspiration for composition, Kauper to the Neo-Classicism movement for attention to detail. I have seen that modern artists pay close attention to the world that surrounds them and modern society. There are lots of subtle themes and similarities between my artists work that aren’t obvious on the surface, this essay has confirmed to me that figurative paintings are rarely pre-occupied with solely depicting the figure. I have seen this in even the artists I previously put into this category; Lucian Freud’s models are integral to each painting, for him it is about the person. Equally, for Currin, the focus is the subject matter that the figure allows him to represent. This essay has inspired my work as I have learned a lot about the formal aspects of constructing a painting. It has also helped me to reflect on my work, seeing myself as the viewer, I have been able to imagine how my audience might read the images, as I have read the paintings I’ve researched. However I have discovered that we each read paintings differently, and our insights are invariably shaped by our own experiences and feelings. Thus, although we must be aware of the viewer, we should see that, for example Kim Levin’s reaction to Currin’s work, we cannot shape our audience’s reaction.
References:
Rosenblum, Robert; Steiner, Rochelle (2003), John Currin, New York and London: Harry N Abrams
Smee, Sebastian (2006), “A Late Night Conversation with Lucian Freud” in Freud At Work, Holborn, Mark, ed., London: Johnathon Cape
Kunsthalle Wien, (?), “Kunsthalle Wien”, http://www.kunsthallewien.at/en/kunsthalle/ (accessed 26 November 2008)
Schirn Kunsthalle (?), “Information” at http://www.schirn-kunsthalle.de/index.php?do=information&lang=en (accessed 26 November 2008)
Ratcliff, Carter; Storr, Robert; Blazwick, Iwona (2005), Alex Katz, Hong Kong: Phaidon Press
Kostenbaum, Wayne; Karmel, Pepe (2007), Kurt Kauper- Paintings 2001-2007, New York: Deitch Projects
Camelfield, William A (1979), “Figurative Art; Surrealism; Relāche and Entr’acte” in Francis Picabia- His Art, Life and Times, Camelfield, William A, ed., Guildford: Princeton University Press
Gingeras, Alison M; Weihart, Martina (2002a), Dear Painter, Paint Me... Painting the Figure since late Picabia, Paris: Centre Pompidou
Rugoff, Ralph (2007), “Painting Modern Life” in The Painting of Modern Life, Rugoff, Ralph, ed., London: Southbank Centre
Higgs, Matthew; Ettal, Meicost; Smith, Roberta; Pilgrim, Linda; Saltz, Jerry; Verzotti, Giorgio; Hickey, Dave; Lafreniere, Steve (2005a), Elizabeth Peyton, New York: Rizzoli Inyernational Publicatins, Inc
Mullins, Charlotte (2006), Painting People: The State of Art, London: Thames and Hudson, Ltd
Wikipedia (?), “Neoclassicism” at www.wikipedia.org/wiki/neoclassicism/ (accessed 27 November 2008)
Cumming, Laura (2004), “A Brush With Genius” at http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2004/apr/11/art/ (accessed 24 November 2008)
Smith, Roberta (1999b), “Art in Review; Jenny Saville” at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E2DC1130F936A25753C1A96F958260 (accessed 24 November 2008)
Campany, Daniel (2008), “The Painting of Modern Life” at http://www.frieze.com/issue/review/the_painting_of_modern_life/ (accessed 23 November 2008)
Smith, Roberta (2002c) “The Staying Power (and it’s not a Freeze Frame) of Paint” at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04EEDC1539F932A15754COA9649C8B63&scp=2&sq=The%20Staying%20Power&st=cse (accessed 23 November 2008)
Sylvester, David (1996) “End of the Streamlined Era” and “Art of an Aftermath” in About Modern Art: Critical essays 1948-1996, Sylvester, David, ed., London: Chatto and Windus
Baudelaire, Charles (1964), “The Painter of Modern Life” in Charles Baudelaire; The Painter of Modern Life and Other Essays, Baudelaire, Charles, ed., London: Phaidon Press
Cohen, David (1998), “A Scaled-Up World” at http://www.artcritical.com/dc'sdozen/katz.htm (accessed 19 January 2009)
Haber, John (2000), “Cleaning up America’s Act” at http://www.haberarts.com/whitny00.htm (accessed 20 January 2009)
Hughes, Robert (1990), “Alex Katz” and “The Decline of the City of Mahogonny” in Nothing if not Critical, London: Collins Harvill
Easy Flowers,(?), “The Meanings of Flowers” at http://www.easyflowers.com.au/asp/meaning.asp (accessed 9 November 2008)