cleobates
Lily Sleeping, Oil on canvas, 216x134.5 cm
The imagery used for this piece was initially inspired by Manet's Olympia; I felt as though this would depict the sobriety and maturity that I wanted to portray. This influenced my decision to include the red chaise longue and create a reclining pose for my subject, Lily. Having experimented with a number of poses, I settled on a sleeping pose as I wanted my subject to appear completely vulnerable, but seemingly content in that vulnerability. This concept is accentuated by the scale of the piece, which makes Lily unmissable, and her clothing, which makes her appear more unguarded. The sleeping pose also pushes this painting towards being an image of young adulthood, although there is a lack of rebellion/hedonism here, which sets it apart from other portrayals of young people today. The background sets a slightly sombre tone to the piece due to the heavy, oppressive black colour. Therefore, there is an underlying sense of threat hanging in the back, but with a bright happily sleeping teenager in the foreground. Consequently, this work juxtaposes threat and vulnerability, and portrays both tranquility and tension hanging in the balance.
Lily Sleeping, Oil on canvas, 216x134.5 cm
The imagery used for this piece was initially inspired by Manet's Olympia; I felt as though this would depict the sobriety and maturity that I wanted to portray. This influenced my decision to include the red chaise longue and create a reclining pose for my subject, Lily. Having experimented with a number of poses, I settled on a sleeping pose as I wanted my subject to appear completely vulnerable, but seemingly content in that vulnerability. This concept is accentuated by the scale of the piece, which makes Lily unmissable, and her clothing, which makes her appear more unguarded. The sleeping pose also pushes this painting towards being an image of young adulthood, although there is a lack of rebellion/hedonism here, which sets it apart from other portrayals of young people today. The background sets a slightly sombre tone to the piece due to the heavy, oppressive black colour. Therefore, there is an underlying sense of threat hanging in the back, but with a bright happily sleeping teenager in the foreground. Consequently, this work juxtaposes threat and vulnerability, and portrays both tranquility and tension hanging in the balance.