Janette #42

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David Palumbo
Janette #42
2017

About the Item

David Palumbo's "Gina 42" is a postcard sized work that was exhibited in our 2017 exhibition Skin & Tonic. Here is some more information about David, his work and the show. STUDIES IN UNDRESSING The practice of making figure studies is almost as old as humanity itself. From prehistoric African pictographs to Greek red-figured pottery, the human body has been the subject of intense study. During the Italian renaissance, artists abandoned the disembodied representations of the medieval period in favor of a more realistic depiction of flesh and blood mortals. The practice of drawing nude figures was crucial to developing a new understanding of both the scientific and aesthetic properties of the male body. Drawings of female nudes did not become common practice until the nineteenth century. At the École des Beaux-Arts, however, students routinely studied the male nude, receiving prizes for the most skillful examples of these académies, the term used for this type of drawing. David Palumbo assigned himself a similar kind of exercise when he began painting a series of female nudes in 2008. As he explains, “I wanted to experiment with my process and technique, and since the figure is one of my favorite subjects, I decided I would enjoy it most as a set of figure studies.” Throughout the series, most of his models are dancers and burlesque performers. Originally, Palumbo thought that their costumes would be a central focus, but as he notes: “I realized early on that the theatrical costumes were not nearly as interesting as their everyday clothing, which had a more personal quality. Though there has been a sensual pin-up quality throughout, I quickly discarded cheesecake tropes in favor of more realist portraits.” Over the decade that he has been painting these studies, Palumbo has explored a range of poses and moods. Some are overtly erotic and theatrical, but most are more intimate, a conversation between artist and model. While all are about dressing and undressing, there is a wide spectrum of formats. Some images suggest traditional academic studies of nude figures seen from the rear as in Tulip or in the “Venus pose” of a woman raising her arms to emphasize her breasts as in Gina #6. In contrast, an image such as Liz Reclining offers a classic image of a sleeping woman half-clad in a robe and lying on a sofa; a nineteenth century rendering of this composition would invariably suggest that the woman was waiting for her lover, but here, she genuinely appears to be resting, unaware of being observed. Most of the compositions, however, reflect the poses that flood twenty-first century media as marketing materials for everything from yogurt to automobiles. What distinguishes Palumbo’s images is that the focus is not on a product, but on the individuality of the women. They wear their own clothes: blue jeans and plaid shirts, leather jackets and comfortable pullovers, robes and t-shirts; in other words, clothes that might be found in almost any woman’s closet. And their bodies express attitudes ranging from detachment to vulnerability, not as a means of advertising something, but as an expression of their personal reactions. Palumbo relies on the models “to pose as they wish with only minimal guidance.” The moods conveyed in these paintings are open to a number of interpretations. Palumbo points out that the images are “often an exploration of balance about how much to show or how much to imply. In many cases, the story is told primarily through facial expressions and hands.” The artist accomplishes this in part by handling the backgrounds as abstracted surfaces that enhance the figure. In addition, he often blurs portions of the body so that the viewer is encouraged to focus on a particular element of the composition, such as the arms and hair in Liz #3 or a skeptical look in Ryan #2. Likewise, in the large multi-figured panels, Palumbo has created a cinematic sequence of figures dressing and undressing, underscoring the fleeting nature of these moments and emphasizing the face of the model at the heart of this process. The study of female nudes in varying stages of undress engenders emotional responses in the viewer. Because Palumbo has presented his models as individuals, there is a sense of intimacy that is more personal than a similar image displayed as an historical character or an objectified product icon. Viewers are invited to participate in the narrative and to add the elements that seem most appropriate from their own perspective.

Creator:
David Palumbo (1982, American)
Creation Year:
2017
Dimensions:
Height: 7 in (17.78 cm)Width: 5 in (12.7 cm)
Medium:
Oil
Movement & Style:
American Realist
Period:
2010-
Condition:
Gallery Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU62632160653