Elaine Morgan 1980

Editor: This is "Elaine Morgan" by John Bratby, painted in 1980 using oil on canvas. It’s a very vibrant portrait, almost aggressively so with the bold brushstrokes and colors. The face is broken into facets of different hues. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Ah, Bratby! He had such a chaotic and brilliant way of seeing the world. You nailed it - that assertive application of paint screams emotional intensity, doesn’t it? I think he's not just showing us Elaine, but revealing his own tempestuous engagement with her. The raw honesty is jarring but somehow very compelling. Those vibrant blues and reds seem to almost fight one another. Does that visual friction communicate a specific feeling to you? Editor: Definitely some tension. It's not a flattering portrait in the traditional sense, but it feels…real. Like he’s trying to capture something beyond surface appearance. Maybe her essence? Curator: Precisely! Think about expressionism, and how artists would twist reality to convey inner turmoil. Bratby channels that tradition but injects this distinctly British grit, don't you think? It's like he’s saying, "Here is this person, unvarnished, complicated, and very much alive.” Makes you wonder about their relationship, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. It feels so intimate and intense. I see why you say chaotic and brilliant. Thanks for the insight. It's so different than how I first saw the painting. Curator: My pleasure. Art's like that, isn't it? A mirror reflecting not just what’s there, but who *we* are, too. A glorious mess, much like Bratby himself!