Between Ourselves

[Chris Bennett]

Here's the latest in a series of 'blue' paintings I've been doing on the theme of women and cars. Your thoughts good and bad are most welome...

[Seedling]

I can't say that 50's era subject matter appeals to me much, Chris, but I thoroughly enjoy your paintings despite that. :-)

[NathanLong]

Very nice. Possibly my favorite of what I've seen of your paintings so far.

[Chris Bennett]

Seedling - That's one of the best compliments I could get! Somehow my 'vision' transcends the subject matter. I think the reason I use a lot of 50s material is because the objects are the 'classic' or acme embodiment of how we 'platonically' think of them.

Nathan - Intersted that you like this the best so far. Is it because it's in a little sharper focus? The buisiness of bonding the painting together as a network of interlocking paint right across the surface consumes me as a technical preocupation. I want the paint to look as if its all happened at once with no sense of things being added. My technical proceedures (I work in acrylic) in persuit of this aim sometimes means that a certain loss of sharpness results - something I am always trying to overcome without loosing the 'all over bonding of the paint and what it represents'.

[Vulgar`]

It seems as though this artistic theme was derived from dampened papyrus and a past-time Corvette that provokes sexual drive. The contrasting color schemes are conflicting, as do male and female in reproduction. The light blue sentiment horizontally parallel to the royal navy vehicle. This series could speak in luminescent volumes with the personal touch that these images aren't missing, but contains remaining in solemn consecration. At the height of your conceptual painting, they're waiting to be released, and I, the viewer, am waiting to recieve them.

A few suggestions to improve the painting:

The man's khaki pants appear like a skirt merged at the edges of where there should be a seperation. The tone is of a softened morning hue - secrets exposed, the withdrawal of human emotion.

The treetops on the right could be more jagged and less dome-like from first glance and further development. Diminutive additions to the details of the man's eyes squinting in awaiting patience could make for better specticality. (If that's even a word, I mean spectacle.)

Their hairstyles almost identical, minor alterations between the two, between themselves, and the symmetrical connection will merge as one.

Hope any suggestions have helped.

Keep doing you

[Craig D]

Chris, very nice piece (again)

Vulgar, are we looking at the same pic? Because the one I see has no man and no pants, etc.

[Marcatili]

Personally I think this painting is far too flat and not flat enough to be referring to the flatness of the picture plane. The car sits perfectly parallel to the picture plane, there is nothing behind the car to suggest distance or form- the hills are flat. The girl's khaki skirt is flat. Apart from the description of form (which is working ok in the white skirted girl's arm) the tonal range is far too mid-tonal overall which, again, adds to the sense of flatness.

I believe the introduction of a wider range of tones, warms as well as just cools and a stronger description of form would strengthen this piece.

Hope that is helpful.

[Aly Fell]

Love it Chris. These paintings are great mood pieces as well. 'Up Ahead', on your website is my favourite I think.

Oh, and Vulgar, it's two women. :)

[Vulgar`]

Here we go again, thanks for the corrections. I will quietly exit the thread now.

[Chris Bennett]

Vulgar - They are indeed two women - or supposed to be!:^^: That said, although I couldn't understand everything about the literal meaning of your post I somehow respond to it on an intuitve, instinctive level and rather liked it. Thankyou so much for taking the trouble to look at my work and for such an interesting response.

Craig - thanks so much for dropping in, even a quick response is a usuful addition to the picture one tries to form of how the work is taken on board by others, as I am sure you are aware yourself.

expat - All comments are useful and very much appreciated and thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts. The flatness thing is deliberate but it is interestng that you find it a distraction in this particular case. Paintings should appear as flat as possible in order for the 'drawing' to manifest itself in the most potent form and thereby, paradoxically, invoke the 'reading' of the forms even more powerfully. For you it seems this hasn't happened. As I said above it's all grist to the mill and something I will add to what I know of the response to the how the paintings are being 'read'.

Poshspice - Not the Posh Spice is it? If it is then I have dozens of paintings you can buy!:tihi:
Never mind all that. I'm delighted you've had a look at my site and very interested by your favourite - although 'Rain' is possibly the best thing I have ever done I think 'Up Ahead' is the best of the blue car paintings. It contains an interesting 'figure of eight' movement going on with the two girl's arms which take it above the ordinary regarding formal structure. Many thanks for your thoughts and glad you picked up on the mood thing - I think it is the main thing going for my work such as it is.

[Vulgar`]

No problem, sorry for the misunderstanding.