We like everything about this artwork: the title, the composition and the colours. Composed by ‘man’ and ‘scape’, the title is a play on words that gives the viewer an insight into the painting: a study of the human form.
Created in gouache on paper, the colours are warm, in shades of yellow, green and red and everything in between. The contrast between dark and light gives the artwork depth and the curved lines draw the eyes around the image.
“Following retirement I have devoted my time to developing my own work, which although inspired by nature, does not simply depict exact renditions of the subject but through the colours, images and techniques used, I try to express my feelings about the subject” says the artist in his statement.
Manscape is like a visual poem, celebrating the human form and human nature while offering viewers an aesthetically pleasing artwork.
Looking at John Varden’s gallery, we can see a preference for landscape, yet the human forms emerge from the very nature he depicts, dominating some of his artworks as if they live in unison. Man and nature are intricately linked giving birth to a new genre: the manscape.
