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Untitled (Pink, Black), egg tempera on calfskin parchment, 4 1/2 x 9 in.
I've been inspired to play with color in my new series of cloth paintings, here pink and black, inspired by a group of paintings by Mary Heilmann, a painter I much admire. Pink is a funny color, funny as in humorous and also as in strange, with odd associations. Paired with black, there can be a life and death aspect to it, heightened by the organic curves, but I'd prefer to think of it as simply nervy, like "how dare you appear in a serious painting!"
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Untitled (Pink, Black) detail
It's a challenge to achieve a lively quality of light, to have warmth in the cast shadows and half lights.
Mary Heilmann, Guitar, 1979; acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 in.
Wonderful that you approached working with pink head on--and with gently folded cloth, no less! The triangular shadow in the painting adds a strong formal element that works against the curves of the fabric. I share your admiration for Heilmann's work and the way she challenges our associations about color, particularly pinks and purples.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Tamar. Yes, I thought 'why not?', and jumped in. I guess it's a rather austere painting for pink. I love the way Heilmann uses unconventional colors; I'm glad you think the same.
DeleteThis is really an exciting series Altoon. It has a different kind of depth to the picture plane than some of the other painted series, and movement too.
ReplyDeletethanks so much, Mona, those are interesting observations.
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