This graphite pencil drawing ‘Roundism – 19-11-18’ is something new. I was in for a bit of fun. Perhaps caused by my previous one ‘An Archeological memory of Bettie Page – 13-11-18’. Lately I have been wandering through different subjects, themes and materials anyway, on the outlook for innoviation. Aforementioned Bettie Page drawing is the start of a new series whereas this one seems to be much of an oddball. A clear example of a marriage between cubism, roundism, surrealism and realism.
Today I told some students that creating art is seeing one thing in another. The process is best described by the process of association and dissociation. Even though in physiatry considered to be bad, in art I consider this to be something beneficial. The thing is that I do not associate body shapes with a woman but dissociate from them. Instead I associate them with other forms. I realized that this process of dissociation applies to both my cubist search for forms and my lust for surrealism.
The model looking in the mirror gave me a chance to do a self portrait for a change. The scenery clearly was induced by my love for a curious painting by Velázquez, called ‘The Rokeby Venus’. From that angle it’s impossible to look into the mirror and show her face as shown in the painting. It has been called the ‘Venus Effect’. Needless to say I had to pick up the glove and reply to Diego with a drawing. What answer could be better than showing my scrutinizing face and look straight into the viewer’s eyes? Someone once said I look so annoying here. Well, that’s just my gaze when I sketch and do self portraits.
Click here to read about the sale of this art work to a dutch collector.
Graphite pencil drawing (Pentel 0.5 mm, 3B) on Canson Bristol paper (21 x 29.5 x 0.1 cm) – A4 format)
Artist: Corné Akkers
Video: