Study for a figure
Item
Artwork Title
Study for a figure
Artist
Art Form
Painting
Art Medium
Watercolour
Artwork Measurement (cm)
53 x 25
Date
2006
Label Information
These two works formed part of a series of watercolours titledexhibited in a show named GLIMPSE held at UCT’s Centre for African Studies during 2006, painted by the Michaelis student Justin Brett in preparation for his graduate exhibition. He explores the presentation of the male body and issues relating to masculinity and homosexual desire by portraying a young adult whose figure is cropped below the knees and wears swimming trunks. Each painting is identical in composition but some images adopt more masculine poses, while others are slighter and appear to be neutral and awkward. The medium of watercolour enables subtle nuances to be created, drawing attention to areas of the body which folds in on itself, such as the armpits being either emphasized or left incomplete. The artist explains that sometimes facial features are absent and “washed out, dematerialised, literally lost to water and light”. A metamorphosis is suggested in the marks on the skin hinting at disease and decay, accompanied by the loss of innocence in the process of growing up.
The Lost Boys,
The Lost Boys,
Acquisition Type
Purchased
Building
Date Acquired
2006
Rights Holder
The UCT Works of Art Database deliberately only shows low resolution images to prevent infringement of image rights. In making the Works of Art Collection available in a public database UCT operates in good faith and will remove any images where the owner of the image rights requests us to do so.
Please contact us if you are the owner of the image rights so that we add the correct credit or if the database record reflects incorrect information.
Please contact us if you are the owner of the image rights so that we add the correct credit or if the database record reflects incorrect information.
