Screen Test 1946

Zoe Mozert painted this image, Screen Test, and you can see how the pastels are applied in light layers, almost shimmering, which is perfect for the subject. It's about the fantasy of making something, a persona, a look. I see the making of art as a process of constant adjustments, of trial and error. Look at how the colors mix so subtly on the figure's skin. It's hard to tell how she achieves the glow, but it feels almost airbrushed. This technique hides the hand of the artist, which is something I grapple with in my own work. I make a mark, then mess it up, then try to fix it, and end up somewhere new. This feels very different to the way that pin-up art, like this piece, is concerned with a polished, finished surface. You can almost smell the perfume radiating from the image. It’s related to the work of Gil Elvgren, but Mozert had her own take on these idealized figures. To me, it speaks to the idea that beauty is an ongoing project.