This painting by artist Rene Smith was on display during Bushwick Open Studios 2013, an annual community arts event in Brooklyn. The artist takes as her subject the naked male body, transformed by a woman's gaze. I only showed the PG-rated portion of the work. Something about this particular painting captivates me, something more than the fact that the subject looks like a man I used to know a long time ago. Maybe it's the way the eyes look out at us, steady and vaguely amused, communicating a kind of trust, a willingness to be revealed.
So glad to hear your mother is on the mend. I wish you all a wonderful visit. And yes, that male form is lovely, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, e!
Delete*Frantically googling for the rated R version ***
ReplyDeleteNOLA darling, i purposely didn't link it but anyone motivated enough has everything they need to find it, lol.
DeleteI think part of his bemusement is the position of photographer, and we can see her feet in that. It's quite interesting. [Oh - I see Ellen already said that.]
DeleteI clicked through her other recent pieces and find her 70's theme interesting.
I feel like the men are like Klimt-type models. Very sure of themselves, asserting rather than being objectified.
Oh yes, the expression is so real. I googled the artist and found the pic of her in her studio working, with this painting (whole) on the wall next to her. She seems to be working from a photo, and I wonder if she did the same with this, if those were her feet and she took the photo of him. If so, it might explain his slightly amused expression. Wonderful artwork, thank you!
ReplyDeleteellen, yes, i did wonder if those were her feet, too!
DeleteIncredible. It is a man through a woman's gaze indeed. I'm so amazed by artists who can convey these things without words.
ReplyDeleteVesuvius, she would no doubt be amazed by your ability to convey a whole scene, an entire world, with just words. You are an artist of a different stripe, but you paint brilliantly all the same.
DeleteWOW! I have family scattered throughout Brooklyn. I'm gonna have to hunt this studio down when I visit in Nov. Seriously thinking about the R rated version. Thanks for sharing! ha ha
ReplyDeleteAngie, they have these open studio showings in June each year, and maybe at other times of the year, too. Thanks for being here and commenting!
DeleteWhat an interesting artist and why has it taken all this time for this concept- a man's body transformed through a woman's gaze- to be explored? I mean, turn that one around and it's 3/4's of the art ever done. A woman's body through a man's gaze.
ReplyDeleteHarumph!
Well, Ms. Smith is doing a beautiful job of of it.