“In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness.” – Laura Mulvey
It is undeniable that women have been a pillar in art history. Not only acting as the subjects of inspiration for artists since the beginning of time, women have also been monumental to the art world in the roles of artist, curator, and innovator. The female form has been altered time and time again, traveling through centuries of artistic periods and representing a variety of topics – fertility, love, sexuality, purity.
Artists are always using the female form in new and unprecedented ways to create breath-taking works that do more than just represent the body. Check out some of these new artworks to ARTmine by artists, both male and female, who each focus on utilizing women as their subjects and muse.
Adam Craemer
Sam, Acrylic & Spraypaint on Canvas, 48″ x 36″
South African artist Adam Craemer is influenced by the graffiti culture of Capetown and the United Kingdom. Although most of his female subjects are Icons, his enlarged proportion and use of aerosol spray can makes even the average woman appear larger than life. His subjects are reduced to their defining contours to bring attention to the complex background that supplements the rest of the composition. “I try and mark the pieces in such a way that allows the viewer to see new marks and complex lines every time they are viewed.”
Linda Roffel
Summertime, Acrylic on Canvas, 39.5″ x 31.5″
Linda Roffel applies her longtime fascination with colors and shapes to create acrylic paintings of women. By focusing on the detailed application of areas of cloth and hair, she reveals an expressionistic, dreamlike background for her subjects to exist in. The Dutch painter juxtaposes the vulnerability of her exposed subjects with their guarded body positions. This deliberate choice in composition creates a sense of mystery, which is underscored by the interpretive quality of her artwork.
Cesar Alvarez
Ensayando, Oil on Canvas, 32″ x 32″
Colombian painter Cesar Alvarez uses a warm color palette and an impressionist figurative style to evoke a nostalgia for the unknown subjects of his work. The dream-like softness of his art is contrasted by the use of sharp detail to create a work rich in dimension. The distinctiveness of his ballerina is set apart from the clouded multi-colored background, and the repeated use of orange in both the background and the tutu presents a woman simultaneously engulfed by and distinguished from her surroundings. Without a definitive theme, Alvarez’s series are based on his inspirations and experiences. Through his subjects Alvarez is able to reveal his own spirit as an adventurer and dreamer.
Auriane Margueron
Untitled 5, Acrylic on Canvas, 39.5″ x 31.5″
A self taught artist, Auriane Margueron has created her own style. Her systematic approach begins with drawing the face of a woman, giving her a position, and then transferring the composition onto a canvas. In contrast to this calculated preliminary approach, she uses color spontaneously searching for harmony and exploring their powers. She describes her works as easy to understand and very accessible. Her amicably playful paintings depict women either isolated or in groups set against abstract backgrounds.
Tiziana Fejzullaj
In Shower, Oil on Canvas, 36″ x 48″
The human figure is what inspires artist Tiziana Fejzullaj, who is primarily drawn to the female form and the beauty it communicates. Fejzullaj obscures the faces of her subjects to bring attention to their physicality and its evocations. Oil paint is exploited to create texture with heavily applied gestures of the medium. In an exploration between light and dark, and warm and cool, Tiziana creates rich figures that are almost tangible. Through dynamic compositions and a skilled master of oil, the artist creates a voluminous nude that demands the viewer’s attention, captivating their gaze by means of an anonymous subject.
Laura Saldarriaga
The Lady on Her Balcony, Oil & Acrylic on Canvas, 36″ x 30″
Laura Saldarriga’s colorful works are a reflection of what the observant artists sees, thinks, and feels in her everyday life. In contrast to these banal inspirations, Laura’s vibrant works have an otherworldly energy. The emotions provided by the facial expressions of the subjects beckon the viewer into their world. With a passion for the human figure, Laura outfits her female subjects in costumes that create playful identities with a spin on the traditional portrait.
You can see these artworks and more on ARTmine.com
