Bow Spirit 1960

Gil Elvgren made this pin-up, Bow Spirit, using a pretty traditional oil paint application to create a commercial image. I like how the smoothness of the paint seems to melt into the surface, so buttery and consistent it almost obscures the hand of the artist. I’m particularly drawn to the curve of her bare leg as it extends out, away from the viewer. I like how the dark, cool blue of the water contrasts with the warmth and the light reflected on her skin. The artist made the image feel playful, light, and airy. Her weightlessness seems to capture the possibilities inherent in painting. Her pose is so carefree it makes me think of a dancer, or maybe the cover of a romance novel. Elvgren’s work shares a focus with contemporary figure painters like Lisa Yuskavage, both artists embrace the ambiguity of desire, beauty, and the body, and the ways we respond to images.