Irksome Oil

Edition of 5 ~ 36×24 inches

$1,025.00

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  • From a limited edition of 5 archival photographs
  • Signed and numbered by artist Aaron Knight
  • Image: 36×24 inches/91×61 cm
  • Paper: 38×26 inches/97×66 cm

Available

Nude portrait photograph

This nude portrait photograph depicts a curious oil check. Primary colors of cobalt blue and carmine red frame an athletic nude woman in front of the open hood of a muscle car. She wears platform, calf-length, blue boots. In her hands is the dipstick from her black 2020 Ford Mustang.

The protagonist displays a defined and developed musculature. She looks in the direction of the viewer, just short of making eye contact. Her expression is ambiguous, perhaps expressing attention that is split between the task at hand and her immediate surroundings.

Her thighs rest against the nose of the car, making contact just above her knee. This stance, combined with her expression, impart a candid sense to this otherwise eccentric performance.

Close behind the nude woman and the car are rich red vertical panels. The handle of the dipstick is a matching red color. The background structure includes both vertical and horizontal lines which align with the edges of the picture. The setting is outdoor, and hints of the surroundings beyond peek through gaps between the panels and the edge of the frame. A house, a tree, and the sky imply a suburban location.

In addition to the colors of her skin and hair, the scene includes saturated blue, red, and green. The color of her blue boots is echoes in the reflection of blue sky along the edge of the raised hood. The blue hues are more intense than the other colors in the photograph. Matching blue laces dangle from the tops of the eyelets. The grass under her feet and the car is a mix of green and brown blades.

The dark, glossy body panels of the automobile recede in this design. The car is mostly defined by the highlights and reflections in the headlamps and exposed engine compartment.

Interpretation

The playful addition of grandiose platform boots takes flamboyance, a staple ingredient of pinup photography, to the point of satire. The tie in of the storied Mustang line of automobiles is a lighthearted acknowledgement of pinup’s tendency to gratify rudimentary fascinations.

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