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Have I ever mentioned that I love Jack Vettriano's paintings? Because I really do. His paintings are sometimes sad (A Kind of Loving), and sometimes sexy as hell (Game On), and often both sad AND sexy (Beautiful Losers II).
I'd say he's rather cynical -- or possibly, something like "romantically pragmatic" -- his paintings are often of isolated figures, or isolated couples, or couples in various kinds of antagonist or alienated embraces (he has a whole series called Betrayal - First Kiss, for example, or The Embrace of the Spider). Even ones that should be romantic feel a bit disturbing -- like The Last Great Romantics and The Last Great Romantic (which was my best friend in high school's favorite); their eyes are all closed tight. Or At Last, My Lovely (I find that over-large shadow just...beautifully unbalanced in all meanings of the word). And some are just straight-up disturbing: The Assessors, Feeding Frenzy, The Master Tattooist, The Perfectionist.
Anyway, I think he's brilliant, and I love the slight retro aesthetic and lonely tone and under-cut romance of it all. ♥
Most of you have probably seen The Singing Butler, which is probably his most famous. I like it, but it doesn't grab me as much as the rest of his work, for whatever reason. I've been trying to decide about a print of his to buy -- I'm finally putting more art back on my walls; I left them blank for the entire year of 2010, but I have four framed pieces now that I want to add to. I used to have a bunch of his stuff that I cut out from an old calendar, but I want real prints. I kinda wanted The Temptress, but I can't find it for under $150, and I can't do that. But I also really love The Letter, so I think I'll ask for that for Christmas.
I'd say he's rather cynical -- or possibly, something like "romantically pragmatic" -- his paintings are often of isolated figures, or isolated couples, or couples in various kinds of antagonist or alienated embraces (he has a whole series called Betrayal - First Kiss, for example, or The Embrace of the Spider). Even ones that should be romantic feel a bit disturbing -- like The Last Great Romantics and The Last Great Romantic (which was my best friend in high school's favorite); their eyes are all closed tight. Or At Last, My Lovely (I find that over-large shadow just...beautifully unbalanced in all meanings of the word). And some are just straight-up disturbing: The Assessors, Feeding Frenzy, The Master Tattooist, The Perfectionist.
Anyway, I think he's brilliant, and I love the slight retro aesthetic and lonely tone and under-cut romance of it all. ♥
Most of you have probably seen The Singing Butler, which is probably his most famous. I like it, but it doesn't grab me as much as the rest of his work, for whatever reason. I've been trying to decide about a print of his to buy -- I'm finally putting more art back on my walls; I left them blank for the entire year of 2010, but I have four framed pieces now that I want to add to. I used to have a bunch of his stuff that I cut out from an old calendar, but I want real prints. I kinda wanted The Temptress, but I can't find it for under $150, and I can't do that. But I also really love The Letter, so I think I'll ask for that for Christmas.