3 Sept 2010

The Last 'Leg Over'

Oil on Canvas  
24 x 20 inch
2010




In this piece I took the Anderson fairy tale of The Steadfast Tin Soldier as my departure point. I love the imagery of children’s stories and you will notice that I’ve tried to combine this with an essentially film noir Hollywood décor. The result is, I hope, something dislocated. Centre stage, the lady appears both impassive and oblivious to the uniformed figure she straddles. The intimacy of their pose is negated by her indifference. She stares out blankly, tears staining her face. Why is she crying? Surely not on account of her lover. The incapacitated rusty tin soldier, rejected for his physical deformity may hold our attention but not necessarily win our sympathy. He cannot express feeling but simply evoke reaction. Still the ballerina-cum-harlot in my piece peers into his hollow metal interior and projects her love for him. As to the nature and evolution of their relationship, I cannot say. The viewer is left to ponder.



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