Vis and Ramin 2018

Jenny Saville’s painting Vis and Ramin is awash with fleshy pinks and bruised blues, a color palette she deploys to challenge traditional notions of beauty. Her process is all about laying bare the raw physicality of the human body. Look closely, and you’ll see the paint is applied in layers, thick and thin, with visible brushstrokes that reveal the artist’s hand. The surface is alive with drips and smears, as though the image is constantly in flux. Notice how Saville uses these marks to create a sense of volume and weight, emphasizing the corporeal presence of her subjects. In places, the paint is almost sculptural, building up a tactile surface that invites touch. The overall effect is both unsettling and strangely beautiful. Saville reminds me of Lucien Freud, another artist known for his unflinching portrayals of the human form. But where Freud's gaze is often detached, Saville's feels more empathetic, even tender. And ultimately, her work opens up a space for us to reconsider our own perceptions of the body, inviting us to embrace its imperfections and celebrate its inherent power.