Totally Nude 1984

Steven Kramer’s, ‘Totally Nude’ is a print of some kind. The blending and shading reminds me of airbrushing which was popular when this artist was working. I think it makes a statement about the relationship between art and process. The surface is smooth, almost airless. There’s a kind of flatness to the composition. I keep looking at the pale yellow shape to the left of the head. Is it hair? The longer you look, the more puzzling the image becomes. I love the way the artist has used a limited palette of greens, blues and oranges. The title ‘Totally Nude’ seems like a prompt to really look at the image. It’s as if the artist is saying, ‘here it is, what do you see?’ The composition has an unsettling energy. Like Red Grooms, Kramer makes art that is visually striking, playfully subversive, and resistant to easy categorization. What more can you ask for?