9.12.2010. JENNY SAVILLE - ugly art?

Would you hang a painting of an obese woman on your living room wall?

Jenny Saville, “Plan” 1993. Oil on canvas

 In 1994, Jenny moved to New York City where she managed to spend long hours observing the work of a plastic surgeon. She look many photographs whilst standing in on cosmetic surgeries and liposuctions, by being able to achieve this she gained a better understanding of the human body.

Jenny Saville is one of my favourite artists. She was born in Cambridge, 1970 and is an English painter who is best known for her large scale paintings of women.

Branded, 1992

Jenny Saville gained her degree at Glasgow School of Art (1988-1992), and was then awarded a six month scholarship to the University of Cincinnati, where she states that she saw "Lots of big women. Big white flesh in shorts and T-shirts. It was good to see because they had the physicality that I was interested in.”

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Saville’s focus has always been on the human form, how it can be represented and people with deformations or disease. Much of her work sees distorted flesh, high caliber brush strokes and patches of oil colour, whilst others combine the surgeons mark of a plastic surgery operation.

To me, Jenny's work is beautiful, even though she does portrays obese women in a horrifying way. The views of which the audience has to see these obese women can have a different effect completely. If you're viewing a piece that is face on then you see the model as it's true form. However, if you view it like the first painting, then your views are distorted, the women looks out of proportion.

During her end of year university show, Charles Saatchi purchased all of her artworks and commissioned her for the next few years. Saville was very interested in the flesh of the human form and observed many plastic surgery operations before collaborating with photographer Glen Luchford.

Christy Turlington / Calvin Klein ad (photographer Glen Luchford)

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The style of British fashion photographer and film director Glen Luchford is influenced by his love of cinema. For creating evocative and cinematic images he prefers working in studio using elaborate lightning sets.