Vision versus Passion

I've been fortunate to see two shows within the last few days - both ones I've been looking forward to for some time as they were separately booked months ago. The first was Delirium, a Cirque du Soleil show, new to me, and I'm a big fan of Cirque. A spectacular surreal show with all the special effects they could muster, clever use of mammoth video screens, and a backdrop of constantly changing imagery. It should have been superb...... But it wasn't. There was no dramatic interest, no genuine human feeling in it, and the whole think just seemed utterly pointless, and spectacularly soulless. At the end of the show, I thought "Is that it??" and left the auditorium without the natural "high" that a good show gives.......

...... Then tonight, I went to see Tango Fire, an Argentinian dance troupe, all young and fizzing with energy and smouldering sexuality. And I sat mesmerised - and loved every minute of it! There were only a few dancers, and a simple accompanying band, but the passion was there, from the strong smouldering men to the long legged women, their nifty footwork showing the precise combination moves so particular of tango. I found the moves very erotic, partly because of the facial expressions of the dancers, it was almost like watching them have sex. And also by the movements, from the way a male dancer ran his hand seductively along the length of thigh of his female companion, or the manner in which they threw their woman into the air, and held her there, leaving her crotch tantalisingly close to his face, for a split second, before slowly releasing her down to the floor. You could almost smell the tantalising aroma of aroused woman hood. Such a joy to watch such toned and fit bodies, working themselves into a passionate sweat as the night progressed.

And I was struck by Ronjazz's comment on my last post - about being passionate about my art. I know I am. And I've learnt a lesson this week with the two shows I've seen - vision can be wonderful but if if doesn't touch a chord within the viewer, it doesn't matter how clever it is, it just won't work as a concept. However, passion can be created from simple tools, and doesn't need to be showy, because the audience will know that it comes from the heart, and will love it for it.

So, now I'm back to my erotic landscapes, and I'll try and work on the passion rather than the clever idea........

Holding the dream

I'm always busy with art, but never too busy that the prospect of a new commission doesn't excite me greatly. Last weekend I was gallery sitting for one of the many exhibitions I'm part of over August and was delighted that a woman expressed interest in the two tango paintings I had got there, amongst others, and wanted to buy the original tango painting I did, which was illustrated on one of the cards I was selling. Unfortunately, I'd sold it two years ago and told her so, but was quick to point out that I could easily repaint it as close enough to the original that she wouldn't tell the difference, if she wanted it badly enough. She then went on to tell me that she actually wanted two tango paintings for her dining room, as they would match the decor and I agreed it was a splendid idea and said she could design them however she wanted the dancers to be and I would paint them gladly for her. She agreed to commission me, we agreed a date in the week for her to come and see me and for me to show her my studio and discuss between us her ideas. She left. I was floating on cloud nine - not one delightful commission but TWO!! Yay!! But I know the way things go and am of the painfully learnt opinion that until the money for a commission is in my hand, I haven't sold a painting. I'm a very optimistic and upbeat person but also realistic enough to know how people are............. And sure enough........... a couple of days later she rang me to say that ALTHOUGH she STILL wanted the paintings, and had taken her husband to see my work and he REALLY liked my paintings too, he felt that it might be a good idea to WAIT until the building work was completed on their house before commissioning me to paint the pictures, so it would probably be better to wait until after Christmas (CHRISTMAS?????!!!) or perhaps even the spring. Ok I said, trying to sound bright and keep it businesslike, and came off the phone a lot less buoyant than when I'd answered it.........

But this is the way of buying art. Other things take priority. Art gets put to one side. And I understand that because mortgages, food, clothing, petrol and household expenses all have to be bought before art. But, and this is also the way of art, she might well come back to me, at some point in the future, and ask me to paint those pictures for her, and I'll do them, competently, completely and design the pictures she is carrying in her head, and she will love what I do, and put them on her dining room wall and all her friends will admire them and fall in love with them too........

Tango til you drop

I've done two more tango paintings this week to add to my collection. The first one is called "Red tango dress" and features a couple dancing, she looking coy but aroused, with her lipsticked mouth open in passion, his face unseen under the hat, but his gaze focused on her, as he lifts her left arm high into the air, and swirls her around. The reason I like this image so much is the way the woman is lifting her right leg up to half wrap around the man's waist. The way the darkness between her open thigh disappears into the black of his jacket pulls the painting and the couple together, and makes the image more erotic. All their lower limbs lead the eye through the painting to that tantalising dark area. Her scarlet dress is flowing with the dance as he leads her from the light into the dark. And as usual I've used splatter to emulate the fast movements of the dancers.

The second painting, also a watercolour, is called "Tangoed" and shows a typical tango pose, an arched back and out-stretched leg for the woman, as she curls her left leg around the mans thigh, her head thrown back, her right arm straight as the man grips her hand, he dips her body to the ground, and firmly holds her waist. Again, their lower limbs are leading the eye to her groin area, that scintillating glimpse of upper thigh on show, the folds in the dress leading the eye to it and adding to the erotic-ness of the image. Again the splatter is used to show the movement in their bodies, without it the painting would look very static and boring. But the splatter shows that he's just moved his raised elbow, his head has jerked forward , and he's stamped his left foot down hard whilst she has just jerked her elbow, moved her legs and thrown her head back, causing her hair to swing behind her.

Sex in public

A few years ago on a visit to Argentina I went to see a tango show. Alright, I thought, a dance show, it'll be ok, quite interesting I suppose and wasn't at all prepared for the raw sexual buzz of the dancers. I sat there in the dark utterly mesmerised by the dance. Anyone who has seen tango will understand what I'm talking about and I will attempt to describe it here, but I know I'll fail dismally to describe it adequately. It was the sexy way the women are dressed, the gorgeous clingy dresses, slashed to the waist, full of sparkle and glamorous attire. Their fishnet tights, high heeled strappy sandals, their gleaming dark hair pulled back in a severe ponytail or bun, their Latin features inscrutable, dark flashing eyes, faces in concentration, scarlet lipstick, scarlet fingernails, scarlet dresses. And the men, all brooding and darkly handsome with immaculate haircuts, in black suits, shining patent leather shoes, and maybe a fedora pulled low over their eyes. So before they've even started to move they're dressed sexily. And then, the music starts, and they start to dance, and their limbs, torsos and feet in perfect harmony flash across the stage. All so effortlessly, and yet it goes almost at the speed of light, and you can't believe how fast they're moving, with their legs intermingled and yet they don't get tangled up, and the man holds the woman as she dips and leans backwards over his leg, her open legs showing a glimpse of the top of the thigh, a flash of cleavage, as her head is thrown back in perfect harmony with the rest of her body. Then on to the next part and back again. One male dancer in particular fascinated me - he was a lot older than most of the dancers - maybe in his forties, and he danced with a girl half his age. He had a wolfish look about him, his greased black hair swept back, a wicked smile played around his lips and his eyes twinkled in knowing fun. The way he held the girl before the dance fascinated me, whereas most of the male dancers put their hands lightly on the girls backs, this guy had only one finger to guide her. Just one. So sexy, and dominating, and powerful. And as they danced, he twirled and spun her all over the place, always in control, always with just one finger on her back. And at the end of the dance she laughed into his eyes, accepting his dominance, knowing that she'd never dance with anyone else liked she danced with him, and acknowledging that she had kept up with him, even though he'd pushed her to the limits. It was like watching pure sex, on that red lit stage, and it fired me up for a desire to see more tango and to paint what I had seen.

I've just finished another tango painting. Its the third I've painted, but won't be the last because I adore doing them. They're so erotically charged, and I love to capture the moments when a couple are in harmony, such trust and empathy between them, as the woman arches her back over the man's arm, her body held weightlessly, as he watches her face, and she flings her head back in ecstasy. I've painted this picture "It takes two to tango" with a lot of scarlet and purples in the fluid background, lots of splatter emulating the movements, showing where they've danced from, the movements of their heads, arms and legs. Just a moment in time, and yet, the time it has taken to get there has to be shown within the painting otherwise it will look stilted and static. I love the scarlet of her dress, against the black of his trousers and tee shirt. His hat pulled down making him mysterious, her hair full of red lights, the dynamic diagonal of their bodies making the composition powerful and sexy, underlining the dance being about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on...

Since doing this painting, its given me a hunger to do another, and I know it won't be long before I'll be going again to see tango performed in the flesh, to sit in a darkened auditorium and watch spellbound as the dancers take the stage....