Claudia Florentina Kusznirczuk

Dance has been contemplated and painted by a number of artists over time and each has its own distinct style whether realistic, imaginary or simply naive.  However, it is not only important to learn and be inspired by previous works of art, but also contemporary artists and works depicting unique forms.  One contemporary artist that captures my attention and enlightens my vision of form and motion is Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.   She presents a unique view and personality in her works that provide enhancements to my work in the ‘Dance in Nature’ theme.   In a similar way, there will be a review and comparison to another notable contemporary artist, Chris Ofili.   

By way of background, Ofili and LYB set forth a new acceptance and path in art for ethnics and women.  Most prominently, in 2016, Ofili and LYB were selected by the BBC as one of top 10 British artists ‘Black and British’ to proclaim and celebrate the countries forgotten black art history and their contributions.1  Looking back into art’s nepotic past to see the misconceptions and whitewashing of artistic myths.  Contrary to liberal notions, history emphatically shows that art was not a free flow of creativity, boundless freedom and flush with non-discriminatory attitudes, but was basically dominated by white males and secondary society art and artists were viewed as inferior.  Yes, ‘Whoever Heard of a Black Artist?’2  documented in a recent UAL research for BBC program3 airing to add further evidence to the struggles in the art world of not only acceptance of one’s art, but of one’s being within art.  
 

The premise of this document is not to discuss the struggles and final acceptance of a class of society in art although these needed to be mentioned in the context of things, but these artists were selected to draw comparisons and similarities of their works to my artistic endeavours and style.

LYB is a model for female artists with her success as a woman in a relatively male-dominated art world.  A British painter and writer renowned for her portraits of fictitious African-American subjects painted using natural earthy colours.  Her style has contributed to a revival in black figure art.   In 2013, she was awarded the Turner Prize in recognition of her great work, thereby securing her place among the most renowned painters of this generation.4  Her work spans and bridges the classical and the contemporary with individual figures in different settings, postures and various stages of motion, including dance. There is a grace, elegance and sophistication in the perceived motion of the painted figures.  LYB provides visual delight in her works by utilizing a nondescript background and highlighting a singular naturally postured image.  She blends the colours of the background so that the image melts into the artwork always appearing relaxed, assured and natural.  
 

LYB’s first solo exhibition at Kunsthalle Basel in Switzerland in 2016,5 was a pinnacle moment in her career, which finally put focus on her artistic achievements and turned heads in the way that her art was viewed by the world.   This exhibition defined LYB’s ascension to fame, not just simply through the paintings exhibited but in the way the works were presented to the viewers.   Figures and characters seem to come to life and look poised to move and dance. Each portrait represents one person, they are generally exhibited in groups of painting arranged like family portraits.

Her selection of dark tone colours evokes strong psychological overtones, creating a feeling of stillness and intrigue in placing the principle subjects in a natural backdrop.  Subjects are portrayed in a fictional way using a range of traditional poses, stances and postures like reading, walking, lounging, dancing and resting.    

Plain and basic elements of LYB paintings strive to keep her work and subjects from association with a particular time or era.  Images are timeless and imminently contemporary, yet there are visages of past times.   A further technique that promotes this timeless notion and a prominent trademark of her work, is that the subjects do not have any footwear to avoid dating or time stamping of the images, thereby allowing the viewers to relate the images to the present and to bias the period.   This barefooted-natural feature shows the subject’s closeness to the earth and melding of the background colours.  Most portrayed figures seem to be floating in front of an earthy, mysterious and abstract dark hue background.  Critics have commented that the mystical backdrops are reminiscent of Degas and Velasquez, but in fact the unfocused background allow the viewers to look into a never-ending expanse.6
 

My intended focus in her works is to comprehend the technique that she employs and utilizes in drawing the forms in dance pose and motion, particularly the attention to the natural flow and elegance of the fictitious images.  The composite features and facial renditions of the fictitious persons are effectively employed to allow all viewers to visualize someone familiar or similar to the viewer.  Purposely lost is the pretentious complexity in much of the contemporary art, where there is often difficulty deciphering an artist’s thoughts, whereas LYB brings art closer to a simplified, natural and basic elemental human form.

The natural products used, evoke a sense of creativity and symbolically represent his ancestral past.   Ofili has created a unique nuance and style to distinguish his art from the countless other artists, presenting a biological aspect, showing nature with nature’s byproducts.   Ofili lends flair for the exotic and erotic.  Elephant dung, coupled with the lively tropical settings in his art, compares suitable to the theme and style pervasive in my artwork.

His imagery and images are brilliant, electric and bombastic; the stereotypical exotic black female figures proudly displayed on his canvases are actual persons from his own personal past sexual experiences during the hip-hop culture period.  His female portrayals are a mimic of Picasso’s female depictions in some respect.  The uses of colours are warm, relaxing and inspired by the colourful Caribbean landscape and from past and popular culture.   Critical in my works, the background is also of great importance to Ofili, and since 2005, Trinidad and Tobago provide the perfect setting to interpret nature’s creativity.