003. Homework Task PART TWO

Jenny Saville Propped (1992)

In Jenny Saville’s Propped (1992), it is the physical application of oil paint, combined with the acknowledgement of certain outside (namely feminist) influences which make the piece one representative of the processes of alchemy.

Propped features a large nude woman sitting on a long perch. She is in the centre foreground of the piece, and is shown from a lower angle, facing upwards towards her face. As a result, the figure’s lower half comes across as disproportionately larger than her upper half. The woman’s arms are crossed across her lap, with her hands clutching her thighs. She is also placed against a blank background, and there is some contrast in the lighting used to highlight the figure. Across the whole piece, faint script is written. The piece is created with an analogous colour scheme.

In this case, the technical success of the piece is created as Saville unites her own knowledge of an effective composition and her own skilful and purposeful application of oil paint. Saville creates a very affronting form, the point of interest, by exploiting and merging the use of tone/form, colour and balance. The dimensions of the figure are made with the use of white and black tonal contrast. This, as well as the use of analogous flesh tones, (highlighted in reds) adds a certain sinewy quality to the figure. Furthermore, the way in which the woman is positioned, front and centre, creates symmetry and balance in the piece. This is almost reminiscent of the nature of traditional portraiture. Also, the way in which the darkened top half balances the large proportion of the figures legs (and the dark colour of the perch) enhances the compositional stability.

As found, Saville’s collective work is largely based around the fascination with the examination of bodies – stripped of personalities and context. In this case, Propped is a piece which seems to be a portrait of a woman’s body. It comes across as an emotional portrait, depicting the true grotesque glory of a woman’s figure. The positioning of the figure is rather affronting and raw, and it is with this passion that the artist presents the view of a woman. The piece is given a universal quality in the sense that it removes personality. While the woman’s face (an icon of difference) is in the piece, it is hidden in a shadow and half out of frame, taking away from its impact. Despite the fact that the figure is perched, perhaps a reference to the fact that it is ‘for show’, the body is not idealised. This sort of ‘feminist’ inspired ideology – where the truth is that women do, indeed, come in all shapes and sizes – is enhanced by the script found on the piece. It is found that these words are quotes from a text by Luce Irigaray, a feminist theorist. This is an example of mental alchemy at work, affirming the idea that the piece is a comment on the perception of women. The body is shown as rather imbalanced, with the unusual angle of view emphasising the woman’s heavy legs. Largeness, if permitted, can also be seen as a symbol of imbalance.

It is Saville’s use of symbols, knowledge of composition and painterly technique which sees to make Propped a piece of great value.

Louise Bourgeois The Woven Child (2002)

In The Woven Child, Louise Bourgeois engages an understanding of the archetypes, as well as manipulating the meanings of found objects, and with that creates a work that effectively portrays the nature of the relationship between a mother and child.

The Woven Child is a sculptural piece consisting of a woman’s torso and a foetus. The torso is held on its back, and lying on its middle is a foetus, held in a sack made out of a translucent dark blue material. The torso is made of patches of white cloth.

This piece is a representation of the archetypal mother/child relationship. The woman’s torso is headless and limbless, making it representative of all, a ‘model’. This lack of a head and limbs, also suggests that a woman’s body is namely a vessel for growth, without an implication of the individual. This is enhanced by the stiff way in which the torso lies; flat on its back. Despite this apparently rigidity, however, Bourgeois active enabling of materials introduces another level of meaning into the piece. That while the mother is a vehicle of growth, there is also an element of intimacy in the pair’s relationship. That it is this cycle of growth alone that is able to create an emotional bond between the mother and child. This is created through Bourgeois’ handling of materials. She uses cloth, and with this comes the human associations of warmth and nurturing. Furthermore, the delicate nature and softness of colours of the materials conjure feelings of tranquillity and encouragement.

In The Woven Child¸ Bourgeois engages the mental process of alchemy through her understanding of human association, and the importance of simplicity. As an artist, she was then able to combine this knowledge with the existing qualities of cloth materials. As a piece, The Woven Child presents both the physical relationship of the mother and child, and through the knowledge of colour and materials, is also able to bring light to the psychological and emotional aspects of the pairing.

SOURCES:

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/jenny_saville.htm http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/contemporary_art/59597
http://www.artfacts.net/index.php/pageType/exhibitionInfo/exhibition/66311/lang/1
Not-so Silly Putty: three female artists look at the body

NOTE: This was written when I was terribly sleepy, so forgive the shabby first draft. Editing will be made when the time permits it. (So check back!)