In this semi-abstract painting the viewer is able to see a myriad of shapes, brushstrokes and dabs of coloured paint.
Though the scene appears chaotic, the dancers are having fun. The man in the blue shirt has a huge smile on his face and the woman in white is dancing wildly. They are placed in the centre of the painting and draw attention. The instrumentalist is on the left and his blue clothing matches the dancer’s shirt. This linking of colours assists in the overall co-ordination of the painting and keeps it ‘fluid’.
By using lots of orange, gold and yellow colours the artist added energy to the painting. Interestingly, the male dancer has a dark circle around his feet and this probably represents his moving shadow.
As dancing with gay abandon was not possible for the artist in later life, he may have recalled earlier times when he enjoyed dancing and was able to imagine himself in this scene. The artist was a musician and he obviously enjoyed painting The Party.
Acrylic on Masonite, date unknown. (Cleaned and framed. Some highlighting added during restoration.)
Comments