Graphite Figurative Photography

A strong portrait, and a piece of history. It was confidently sketched in 1923, during the heyday of the "Lost Generation" in Paris, at the Closerie des Lilas - Ernest Hemingway's favourite haunt and home-from-home in the City. This historical café is where Hemingway first read The Great Gatsby with his friend F. Scott Fitzgerald and where he wrote most of The Sun Also Rises...

Hand-coloured portrait of a human larvae bursting out of their cocoon, immobilised in marble. Representative of a safe and isolating space, the cocoon is both a cage and a shelter. This tale is a​ study of transformation, of breaking apart and coming back together as the larvae emerges from the silken threads. Taken from The Sialia Marbles, a series of portraits containing ephemeral human sculptures taken between 2016-19. Together these works act as tales contained in a fictional sculpture hall, in direct reaction to Andre Malraux’s 1947 Le Musee Imaginaire (Museum Without Walls). During the beginning of the 'Museum Age' in the 18th century , writer Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe discussed mythical sculpture...

This gorgeous artwork on paper was created initially with a screen print base of the model, then Rosie hand finishes the work with a unique splash and painted composition. Some call them Unique Prints. The base image is only used 12 times and this is the AP Rosie Emerson, born in 1981, is a contemporary artist working almost exclusively on representing the female form. Emerson’s figures draw reference from archetypes old and new, from Artemis to the modern day super model, each solitary figure, an allegory of her own fantasy. Interested in surface, the interplay between photography and painting. Emerson’s works are playful constructs; Photography is used, not as a device for capturing reality but for creating romanticised optical illusions. Inspired by her love of theatre, performance, shrines and rituals, she uses lighting, costume, set and prop making, alongside printmaking and painting to create other worldly one off pieces. Her photography is inspired by both the drama of the baroque, and ethereal qualities of Pre Raphaelite works. Other important influences include late medieval and renaissance paintings, Japanese prints, and magical realist literature. Emerson’s screen...