Looking
Looking (2016)
18×23¾ Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Sold
It’s all in the eyes. You’ve glanced at him working out, admiring his physique and the way he carries himself. You’ve stolen glances of his body in the shower. You’ve turned and shown off yourself, giving him an opportunity to see what you’ve got. Is it gonna happen? Is the attraction mutual? It’s not until the eyes meet does he know you’re Looking and he’s Looking Back.
I've done pieces that are related to each other and I've done some series, but this is the first time I've done two separate paintings that are part of one unified scene. Displayed together, there is incredible tension and heat between the figures. Individually, however, the intrigue shifts to what the figures are watching, or whether they are the ones being watched. Working in pastel, I focused on the industrial texture of the locker room shower, contrasting the hard, neutral square tiles with the soft, steamy mist and his glistening, heavily muscled physique.
