Sensual/Sexual

 This is an exploration into my curiosity and why I find myself drawn to the subject of the bodily and tactility along with my fascination for the abject, obscene and sinister.

 If you haven't been to see the Picasso exhibit currently in the Vollard Suite at the British Museum then I suggest you go, it is a large collection of his exquisite etchings alongside some works of Rembrandt's, Goya's and classical sculptures - all of which had an influence on his work.

I went to this exhibition at a great time in the development of my ideas surrounding my current subject matter of marble Greek and Roman sculptures. Picasso's images evoked many emotions within me; the 'Rape' series (image above) left me feeling confused as I visually tired to separate the two bodies intertwined and emotionally tried to distinguish his pleasure from her pain. The series of the Sculptor in his Studio featured bright scenes with a nude man and woman reclined and relaxed together as they admire the latest sculpted nude creation, the euphoric atmosphere in them suggested to me they depict a post-coital haze, a delicate mixture of the pleasures of the flesh and beauties of sculpture.

  The image below sticks in my mind firstly because of its threatening sexual atmosphere, almost carnal, and secondly it brings to mind the Greek myth of Ariadne and her half brother, the Minotaur. 

In response to the etchings I made these sketches, exploring the intertwining of bodies and sensual/sexual-ity.

 The two sketches above are studies of a marble sculpture, both in charcoal. The one on the right is worked into with watercolours and gouache.

This sketch is influenced from the many recent drawings I've made of statues and explores the inability to distinguish one body from another.

The drawings below are a step forward from statues to life models, I wanted to explore the differences of capturing the contours and softness of skin compared to stone.

I feel by tackling all this subject matter it will help me develop my own clay sculptures into something more informed and purposeful. My time in the UCL Library today allowed me to refine the imagery I want to look at, I now have a book full of images of Bernini's baroque sculptures and have looked at Giorgio De Chirico's use of the marble statue in his Ariadne series. I have also been looking at contemporary painter Glenn Brown's abject, heavily worked paintings which have 18th century influences.

I will be sure to keep you posted on my developments over the next few weeks!

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