No Rest 2019

A solitary figure in sharply contrasting light anchors No Rest, a nocturnal interior where a disturbed stillness heightens the emotional tension of the scene.

No Rest and other late figurative works continue the exploration of individual presence. Somewhat like “Woman in Mirror” the solitude is not fully undisturbed. “No Rest’s” curving sculpturally painted body contains the excited tension of a mass of white cloth with angled folds creating an unnerving sense of unease. The corner of an intruding screen from the bottom reflects vague images from across the room. An additional pictorial element< letter “S”, sweeps through the image unnaturally connecting all objects to increase the emotional charge. The letter ‘S” combined with the deeply shaded shadows around the objects cement the emotional statement. This is a representational image with elements that defy their representational status. They are not naturalistic. The TV screen, with faintly defined images, below in front of the bed surface confirms that perceptive difference.

Richard L Tuck, No Rest, oil on canvas, 30 × 36 in., 2019 - Status: Available