Nude with Raised Arms 1998

This is John Currin’s ‘Nude with Raised Arms’, made with oils, though the exact date is unknown. Currin's handling of paint here is quite controlled, almost like a Renaissance master, but with this weird, unsettling twist. Look at the skin tones, how he builds up these subtle layers, creating a kind of porcelain-like surface, it’s almost like he is breathing life into a doll, or a fairytale character. The figure’s features are heightened, exaggerated, and hyper-realistic. Then, the brushwork is more visible in the hair and her raised arms, and that contrast is really interesting. The overall feeling is one of an awkward innocence, a kind of detached sensuality. I think of artists like Balthus, who also had this way of portraying young women with a strange, almost uncomfortable gaze. Currin seems to be in conversation with these artists from the past, but he is pushing things, questioning our own perceptions of beauty and desire.