Jenny Saville was born in Cambridge, England in 1970. She earned her BA in Fine Art from Glasgow School of Art in Scotland in 1992. During this time she was awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Cincinnati. She has been featured in multiple group exhibitions, including the Young British Artists III at the Saatchi Gallery in London and solo shows in New York. Her paintings are often of the body in some state of vulnerability, whether a nude or the body after a physical trauma. These works are monumental in scale and confront the viewer with images that contest conventional ideals of beauty, conventions of sexuality, transformation, mutilation and violence to the body. Saville states, “I like the spaces that a large scale offers. The different space of encountering a painting from a distance to being very close up to a painting, the physical relationship of your body to that scale of object and mark – making.” Looking at her work close – up the physical application of the paint can be seen. The sculptural layering of paint and color is dense and thick in certain areas as it corresponds to the density of the flesh of the subject. The marks are made in patchy and blotchy strokes that create volume and weight to the images.
The body, specifically the female body, is prevalent in her paintings. In Branded and Plan she confronts the issues of body image, gender and questions the standards of beauty in society. In Plan she uses her own body as subject with contour lines draw on the surface. The lines are to resemble the marks drawn on before the body a surgical procedure, such as, liposuction. The vulnerability of and ability to alter the body are highlighted in this work. By depicting physical imperfections Saville challenges the idea of beauty, as it is associated with the male ideal of the female form and how imperfections and individualism can be beautiful.
Saville works from photographs, textbook illustrations, forensic science books and other sources that include watching surgical procedures. She studies how the body is composed in order to paint it more accurately. In later work, Saville focuses on issues and imagery of trauma, violence, disease and death like in Knead and Reverse where the body has endured an act of trauma and Torso 2 where a carcass is seen as an example of violence that has ended in death. She paints the flesh as it has been mutilated, bloodied and bruised. The images are very intimate depicting the body in a state of vulnerability. The graphic depiction and large scale nature of the work adds to the images being aggressive and disturbing by being so large and unavoidable.
Saville also explores the body being in a state of in between-ness. In between gender like in Passage where the subject is a Transvestite and where gender is not fixed but negotiable and fluid. Also, in the Knead and Reverse the body is in a state of being in between life and death.
There is a parallel between Saville’s choice of imagery of bodies that have been altered or manipulated and the way in which she manipulates the paint to create the physicality of the body and flesh. Saville is able to use paint to create a sensory quality to her work, as well as, uses the images to explore larger themes and ideas.
The body, specifically the female body, is prevalent in her paintings. In Branded and Plan she confronts the issues of body image, gender and questions the standards of beauty in society. In Plan she uses her own body as subject with contour lines draw on the surface. The lines are to resemble the marks drawn on before the body a surgical procedure, such as, liposuction. The vulnerability of and ability to alter the body are highlighted in this work. By depicting physical imperfections Saville challenges the idea of beauty, as it is associated with the male ideal of the female form and how imperfections and individualism can be beautiful.
Saville works from photographs, textbook illustrations, forensic science books and other sources that include watching surgical procedures. She studies how the body is composed in order to paint it more accurately. In later work, Saville focuses on issues and imagery of trauma, violence, disease and death like in Knead and Reverse where the body has endured an act of trauma and Torso 2 where a carcass is seen as an example of violence that has ended in death. She paints the flesh as it has been mutilated, bloodied and bruised. The images are very intimate depicting the body in a state of vulnerability. The graphic depiction and large scale nature of the work adds to the images being aggressive and disturbing by being so large and unavoidable.
Saville also explores the body being in a state of in between-ness. In between gender like in Passage where the subject is a Transvestite and where gender is not fixed but negotiable and fluid. Also, in the Knead and Reverse the body is in a state of being in between life and death.
There is a parallel between Saville’s choice of imagery of bodies that have been altered or manipulated and the way in which she manipulates the paint to create the physicality of the body and flesh. Saville is able to use paint to create a sensory quality to her work, as well as, uses the images to explore larger themes and ideas.
Plan
Strategy
Knead
Reverse
Passage
Host
Torso
8 comments:
Saville's work is quite radical in subject matter. I don't think we've seen anything so confrontational to the viewer as her works are. Although they are depressing, I think they represent an important direction for art to take. Images of battered women, non-idealized female figures, and butchered animals are not fun. They do, however, force us to consider such topics - as is pointed out in the essay. Her works achieve a unique level of social criticism. Can anyone think of an artist of work that has done anything similar? I can think of many works that are social commentaries but none like this.
oh sorry, depetr_c is me, Cleighton
I think it is wise of Saville to use her own body as the subject of some of these pieces. Since she is grappling with subjects that are especially sensitive and potentially "ugly", I feel that by painting her own body, she avoids risking a situation where she could be exploiting someone else for her own gain... by this I mean drawing attention to another person's insecurities or so-called "imperfections" to make these captivating paintings that bring her fame and money. These paintings are huge, and such a nontraditional depiction of the nude is certain to catch any viewer's attention. People will obviously be staring at and inspecting these bodies, and I find it brave and particularly appropriate for Saville to be presenting her own here.
I'm still thinking about all of this though.
What do others have to say?
I had a hard time looking at Saville’s paintings during class but now that I see them on a smaller scale it’s easier for me to see them and not feel so overwhelmed. Now, when I look at the animal carcass I see a statement about cruelty to animals instead of a gruesome image created to shock an audience. It’s obvious that Jenny Saville uses the size of her work to leave an impression. After seeing Cleighton’s question about other painters that have produced similar paintings I found the painter Lucian Freud. This fellow English painter also paints large scale nudes and I see similarities in their styles. Many of Lucian’s works have nudes in lifeless positions and skin tones that hint at death.
I really like the fact that Saville uses the female body, her own boday like Nathalie has pointed out, to contest power and conventions of beauty yet I feel conflicted about the use of the nude female form in such violent situations, kind of what we touched upon in class. Callan brings up the point of cruelty against animals when looking at the animal carcass -- i tend to see that image and think of how it compares to the images of the women -- how different is it to see a brutilized animal body than a human body? how have images of violence against women dehumanized them? Why are Saville's images so hard to look at -- does she not dehumanized her subjects -- i noticed in most of her work her subject returns the gaze of the viewer - the subjects stare straight back at you whether in pain or defiance -- yes the subjects are nude but i think it is just as important to observe how their gazes are powerful and do not allow them to just become the object of the dominate gaze (often male) -- by returning the gaze i believe the subjects regain power even if the subject has been in a trauma -- making the viewer uncomfortable we are forced to confront the complex issues surrounding why these images are disturbing yet intriguing.
I think it's interesting the titles Saville gives to these paintings. Their obviously emotionally loaded images, but the titles are very much detached. "Knead", "Reverse", and "Passage" all are generic adjectives non-specific to people. In fact the only semi-references she makes to the figure are in the animal carcass paintings ("Torso" and "Host"). I'm not sure why this is, for me I think it maybe emphasizes the distance the viewer normally places between themselves and the violence portrayed. A graphic subject matter is more likely to be taken lightly when read about in the news--not when you're faced with a 10ft tall painting. Do you guys think or know why these paintings are titled this way?
I think it's interesting the titles Saville gives to these paintings. Their obviously emotionally loaded images, but the titles are very much detached. "Knead", "Reverse", and "Passage" all are generic adjectives non-specific to people. In fact the only semi-references she makes to the figure are in the animal carcass paintings ("Torso" and "Host"). I'm not sure why this is, for me I think it maybe emphasizes the distance the viewer normally places between themselves and the violence portrayed. A graphic subject matter is more likely to be taken lightly when read about in the news--not when you're faced with a 10ft tall painting. Do you guys think or know why these paintings are titled this way?
Saville's work is striking and it's hard for me to divert my eyes - although to look away is my first reaction. I think the fact that she uses herself as a model for much of her work is courageous and provocative. The raw and real portrayal of her own skin attacks the representation of the female body in the media. The social expectation of what is 'attractive' and what is considered 'ugly' is challanged and confronted. Aspects of society we normally choose to ignore and avoid are thrown in our faces. The mere overpowering size of the images is transfixing.
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