Jenny Saville – Voice of the Shuttle

“Voice of the Shuttle” by Jenny Saville was made as a response to Rubens work and was exhibited in the Royal Academy earlier this year. Rubens is a major inspiration for Saville, the masses of flesh she uses are obviously comparable to Rubens figurative pieces. This piece, which is very different from her more well-known, fleshy pieces was made with pastels and charcoal, it features a bloody battleground with two severed heads at the top. The only colour used is red, which highlights the impact and brutal nature of the situation. An article written about this piece states that, “It’s inspired by Philomela, the Roman poet Ovid’s story of rape, mutilation, cannibalism and revenge, painted by Rubens”. This piece is dramatic, the collisions of marks and colours show a very emotive scene.

The mass of figures lying dead in the centre of this piece remind me of my own work. They are unclear and thus appear to form a monstrous figure. My printed figures are also made up from an accumulation of layered figures that are unclear in parts. The greyscale colour scheme is also comparable to my own work. The marks made with the black charcoal look smudged together, which adds texture and movement to the piece.

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