The Ladies

This painting came about after randomly seeing Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” (completed 1907, and translated as “The Ladies of Avignon”) pop up in one of my social media feeds. I’m not a fan of Picasso, but there is no denying the significant influence of his work on the development of Western modern art. I had to study his painting a few years ago and I remember just being repelled by it - five naked women as if trapped in a claustrophobic space, competing with each other for your attention (and let’s face it, the male gaze). They were drawn with sharp edges, hinting at the beginnings of cubism.

I hadn’t seen Picasso’s painting in years and when it popped up again I wanted to respond to it somehow. So taking the colour palette of the original and leaning just a little bit into cubist construction, I came up with “The Ladies” - anonymous figures freely going about their business, barely noticing or even acknowledging your presence as a viewer. Inspiration is a strange thing - I’ve always been inspired to paint by things that produce a positive feeling, not things that have repulsed me. So I think this is good learning for me and something I can build on (but I’m still not a fan of Picasso!).

I've tried my best to provide clear and accurate photos of this work, but please note that colour nuances may not be captured perfectly by digital media and vary from screen to screen.