Heads
"IT'S BECOME REALLY DIFFICULT TO DO FIGURATIVE PAINTING THAT ISN'T NAFF OR CHEESY AND WHICH FEELS RELEVANT.
I'VE FOUND A WAY TO DO IT BY LOOKING AT ABSTRACT PAINTERS LIKE DE KOONING AND TWOMBLY. I LIKE LOOKING AT VERY OLD FIGURATIVE PAINTING, AT THE OLD MASTERS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE ART OF OUR TIME, I PREFER TO LOOK AT ABSTRACT PAINTING. IT'S TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT THE PHYSICAL ACT OF PAINTING, ABOUT PACE AND TEMPO, USING DRIPS AND MARKS IN WAYS THAT AREN'T JUST DECORATIVE."
Jenny Saville
Finding abstract marks showing how these heads have been made at different stages: smudges, fingermarks, splats and drips, showing underdrawing and structural 'working-out' lines, give clues about how these heads are created. Its a bit like showing the working out of a maths equation, just being honest about how it's done.
