David Hensel. Nude

C Type print on Aluminium.

‘Female Nude’

1. 46 x 62 cm. or 2. 69 x 91 cms or 3. 122 x 91 cms.

1. Signed Limited Edition of 25 (46 x 62 cm) or 2. 12 (69 x 91 cms) or 3. 5 (122 x 91 cm).

1. £550 or 2. £1250 or 3. £1850.

The initial drawing of a ballet dancer was done on white paper a little larger than A4 size in pink, yellow and blue-green pencil, diagrammatically describing poise and form, one of a series, rehearsing until I felt I could capture the movement.  
I have been doing figure drawings with bright colour on black paper for several years, as that allows a sculptural description of spatial depth and a glow of light. I’ve also done a lot of colour photography, using film, where the process produces a negative of the colours, from which a positive print is made. The negative colours are fascinating, and these pink and yellow drawings were really done as negatives, from which a positive print would equate to those coloured drawings on black.  It’s a way to arrive at a description of movement and light. 
As well as drawing from the model directly, I like to draw from photographs, photographing the model repeatedly until we reach a clarity of pose.  I often take stereoscopic photos, which allow me to see the 3D form when drawing.  I’ll draw from several of these photographs, which allows the stages of rehearsal necessary to understand the complexity of the pose and make it look simple, and to arrive at a composition which works.
The colours used are not intended as representatIve of visual appearance. Colour has a life of its own and can convey perceived qualities or aspects of the subject that would be lost in a more photographic approach.  Coloured marks kept apart from each other lead the eye a dance, where the choreography transfers to the image.
A drawing can express the hand of the artist, the sketchiness becoming part of the aliveness of an image.  Keeping to a linear description of the figure’s form and gesture rather than a more visual representation also seems allow an enlargement to enhance that sense of aliveness, and the original pencil drawing was done with the intention that it would be enlarged as a negative.
The print here is such an enlargement, done on aluminium, which gives a flat, hard and glossy durable surface which I feel contrasts and presents the image well.

 

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