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- Larissa King
Larissa
King
CONTEMPORARY ICONS
My project consists of a series of large paintings which explore imagery relating to a number of influential historical female icons. The series is monochromatic, with minimal use of colour to give more depth and vibrancy. They are painted in a gestural manner with areas built up using a mixture of wax, turpentine, linseed paste and dammar varnish, which animates a sense of glamour or drama.
These historical icons were important activists, creative, ambitious and inspiring women, but can also be associated with controversial and important topics relevant to the present day. For example Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was a writer and feminist but is associated with the topic of mental health
and Margaret Sanger (1879-1966), who was a birth control activist and sex educator but is also associated with the topic of pro-life/pro-choice. These large scale paintings are intended to draw the viewer in with its seductive surface and tease of colour whilst also showing the relevance of these female icons and what they stand in the modern world.