Advanced Composition Discussion

[Sidharth Chaturvedi]

Chris, when you say the marks in the Freud are antagonistic to the nature of the subject, are you talking about the contrast between the girl's expression/pose and the harshness of the marks? And this is what's giving the sense of her inner mood? Just want to make sure I'm understanding that correctly.

[Chris Bennett]

Well, the marks aren't harsh in themselves Sidharth. They only appear harsh because we are reading them against the subject. They writhe and tumble, interrupt and contrast yet at the same time synthesise into a young girl asleep.
So we have a interaction of shapes that are 'storm like', worrisome in their wriggling together (think of heavy clouds overhead) and we have the face of a young girl.
The result is a sort of unease in stasis.
Whether that is the unease of the girl or the artist or both is not important. The subject of this picture has become 'unease' because of the duality of its plastic expression and its 'literary' subject; 'young girl asleep'.

With the Varichev there is no antagonism between subject and its plastic expression; so what we have is an accord. The reds, blacks and ochres are grouped, in their place, ordered and respectful of each other in the plastic drama.
The picture's subject is 'balance' if you like:
Two black eyes, two red ribbons poking out either side of her head, two collars... and the whole colour scheme held together by that marvelous river of white between her jacket that forks off in two tributaries, winks out at us in the highlights of her eyes and closes again as a oneness in the parting of her black hair.