The Night

Oil on canvas, sealed yarn & burlap, silver leaf . From the "Difficult Women" ongoing series.

I really enjoyed creating this piece which came together quickly during a melancholy time while also preparing for an upcoming show. “The Night” is another piece added to the ongoing *Difficult Women theme. I admit I am drawn to the graceful poses of dancers and their costumes. I remember standing outside of my Cabbagetown, Atlanta apartment/studio, which was in those days very quiet, looking at the moon and feeling suspended. This work came out of that sort of thought. I didn’t want to bother with the upper arm, so I left it out….no real meaning there, except my appreciation of a simple torso like that of a mannequin. I think at the time I was working a visual merchandising job that required taking arms off and on the mannequins in order to dress them for window displays. I added the owl who watches over her as an obvious nocturnal icon.
My thought on this lovely lady is that she falls deeply into sleep…into the night.
-LiShinault