Auto stop 1966

Editor: This is Evelyne Axell's "Auto stop," painted in 1966 using acrylics. It's striking how the artist combines a reclining nude with a stark highway landscape. What jumps out to you in terms of formal analysis? Curator: Note the geometrical arrangement of the composition: The stark lines of the road, defined by a rigid application of paint, intersect with the curvature of the reclining figure, painted with softer, blended brushstrokes. The artist has clearly defined her approach based on subject. It’s also worth pointing out the interplay between hard and soft, artificial and organic. Editor: So, you're focusing on the tension between the shapes and textures. The hard lines of the road and then the smooth curve of the human form. Curator: Precisely. Observe how Axell uses colour to amplify this tension. The cool tones of the nude and the highway contrast with the fiery reds and oranges that surround the composition. The artist's color selections serve as a method for creating meaning, no? How does this interplay of color inform your understanding? Editor: I see it too! It makes me think of that inherent conflict between the female form, now a source of empowerment, set against the hyper-masculine association of vehicles, roads, movement, freedom… all those typically masculine attributes. Curator: A rather cogent observation. Let us return to formal cues in search of further readings of this dynamic tension. Notice that Axell subverts any coherent perspective system to privilege shapes and colors over depth, how can one possibly situate themselves as the viewer? The surface is all! Editor: I think focusing on how Evelyne Axell combined such differing elements – the curves and sharp lines, the nude figure, the mechanical-looking highway – really gives insight into how the painting functions and its striking imagery. Curator: Indeed. Through close visual analysis, we begin to perceive the calculated construction that belies its initial impression.