NUDES
“Flesh is the reason oil paint was invented.” — Willem de Kooning
My nudes exist in an ideal space of the imagination—a constellation of visual and tactile sensations rather than portraits of specific individuals. They are aesthetic nudes—art nudes—rooted in a long lineage in which the figure serves as a vehicle for invention, sensation, and formal exploration.
Are these paintings erotic? I hope so. Erotic can mean desire, longing, or aesthetic pleasure. The sensuality resides as much in the painting itself as in the figure depicted. My nudes invoke the camp sexuaity of internet nudity and popular culture. At the same time, the nude can suggest a more universal, symbolic realm. The painterly nude is not about actual women, yet it remains sensual and provocative. It is intended as praise—as a celebration of beauty, pleasure, and the joy of embodiment.
