"Body in Repose" 12 x 72 inches

I have painted a body lying in repose, attempting to explore the abstraction of the organism within its figurative boundaries. I am interested in the expressiveness of lines as they relate to various emotional responses. What first catches the eye is the nakedness of the body, a state usually reserved for what can be considered a private, inside space. As related to the private/public opposition, to exhibit the piece in a public space (enlarged four times its original size) intends to create an interplay between the inner and the outer, for the body is not only naked, but its bones and inner sinews are abstractly being exposed. This calls for placing perception on its deep interior core. The position of the body is as if sleeping –almost as a corpse-, contrasting with the energy and chaos of the streets of New York City. Upon seeing this painting, one would hope the spectator to reflect upon three key ideas: repose in the midst of movement, the inner as related to the outer, and freedom of expression at the core of the polis.