{"title":"DIORAMAS","description":"\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eDemonstrating an exciting development in the artist’s practice, personal themes are explored relevant to his experience during the global pandemic.  Watson's imagination was first sparked by seeing empty fashion boutique display windows in his home city of Melbourne during a \u003cspan class=\"\"\u003elock down. He\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e began imagining painted theatre sets or glass showcases, the figures safely sealed behind glass, some in sporting attire referencing a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003esolitary \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003ee\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003existence at home.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003eAn astonishing scene is depicted in the painting \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci class=\"\"\u003eShower \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003ewhere\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e French model Eddy Grim showers inside a Chanel window. In contrast to him, a Royal Life Guard is still and resting - a metaphor for the memories and longing for international travel which had been on pause.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"footballer","title":"Footballer","description":"\u003cp\u003eUnframed\u003cbr\u003e 53 x 43 cm \/ 21 x 17 in\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFramed\u003cbr\u003e 74 x 63 cm \/ 29 x 25 in\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOil on board\u003cbr\u003e2021\u003cbr\u003eSigned lower right\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA private collection, Sydney\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDescription\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first painting from Watson’s new series DIORAMAS, this superb new artwork demonstrates an exciting development in the artist’s work, and explores personal themes relevant to his experience of the global pandemic and lock downs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Walking our dogs along beautiful Collins Street in Melbourne during lock down and seeing the empty luxury fashion house's windows was both unprecedented and surprisingly inspiring. I thought about the same designer boutiques I've visited when travelling abroad before the pandemic, and how much I also miss visiting art museums and working with new models.\"\u003c\/em\u003e wrote Watson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA starting point was offered by the experience and the artist began imagining creating painted theatre sets or glass showcases which may be be viewed by an audience - many of which are observing online in numerous countries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe central subject is the model, Alexis Caught, who posed for the artist in London in 2017, and plays rugby for the gay team the Kings Cross Steelers. He appears contemplative, resigned to waiting, and seems indifferent toward, or unaware of, the attention he might attract from passers-by given his spotlit presence in the windows of an Yves Saint Laurent boutique.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImmaculately painted details such as the platinum window frames, dazzle with reflections and reminds us the footballers public position is sealed behind glass. A spare and neutral colour palette ensures the eye popping magenta pink and emerald olive green is without competition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEngaging the viewer is a portrait of a young man by Giovanni Batista Moroni, which Watson has enlarged to maximise visual impact. Reminding us we too are being watched as we pause outside the window, the classical portrait also provides compositional balance and a cherished memory of Watson’s international art museum visits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMuch of the greatest art in history tells us something about the period it was created, and creating this painting during a challenging period has been therapeutic personally for Watson. Possessing a chic and quietly erotic aesthetic, this exceptional oil painting is one of the artist’s most significant and personal artworks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ross Watson Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40681503293594,"sku":"OOB-Footballer","price":35000.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0051\/6381\/0927\/products\/FootballerYSL72.jpg?v=1630649772"},{"product_id":"shower","title":"Shower","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eUnframed\u003cbr\u003e56 x 61 cm \/ 22  x 24 in\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFramed\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e76  x 81 cm \/ 30 x 32 in \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOil on board\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e2021\u003cbr\u003eSigned lower right\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan mce-data-marked=\"1\"\u003eA private collection, Hong Kong\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis breathtaking new painting will be the largest and no doubt a very popular centrepiece in Watson's forthcoming Melbourne exhibition DIORAMAS.  It was completed this week after six weeks near constant work, and demonstrates an exciting development in the artist's career, exploring personal themes relevant to his experience of the global pandemic and lock downs.  Watson's imagination was sparked by seeing an empty store display window and imagining London based French model Eddy Grim showering inside it. In contrast to him, a Royal Life Guard is still and resting - a metaphor for the memories of international travel which have been on pause for many including the artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Walking our dogs along beautiful Collins Street in Melbourne during lock down and seeing the empty luxury fashion house's windows was both unprecedented and surprisingly inspiring. I thought about the same designer boutiques I've visited when travelling abroad before the pandemic, and how much I also miss visiting art museums and working with new models.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003ewrote Watson. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite their dramatically different personas, a striking feature of the scene is the two men unified by their tilted heads and closed eyes, as they appear to lean into one another. As astonishing as it is intimate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExtraordinarily fine painted detail is evident in the Life Guards uniform, helmet and saddlery, which is complemented by the intricate rendering of Eddy's tattoos and hair in this fine work which possesses excellent composition and convincing depth of field.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sophisticated and restrained colour palette where scarlet red and Prussian blue pop against the muted tones reinforcing the visual impact of this elegant homoerotic masterpiece.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ross Watson Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41049935970458,"sku":"OOB-Shower","price":42000.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0051\/6381\/0927\/products\/ShowerCHANEL.jpg?v=1633583232"},{"product_id":"boxer","title":"Boxer","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eUnframed\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e46 x 36 cm \/ 18 x 14 in\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFramed\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e67 x 57 cm \/ 26 x 23 in \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOil on board\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSigned lower right\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAvailable for immediate release\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDescription \u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe third painting in a new series DIORAMAS, Boxer, is erotically charged and \u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003epossesses a strong and dynamic composition. Watson's first depiction of a boxer, it features a new model, Jacob, the artist's neighbour who he witnessed practicing sport in his garden during lockdown. An eye-catching angular view of a handsomely marbled Gucci store front provides the setting for the solitary athlete.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a result of seeing empty luxury fashion store windows\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003ewhen Melbourne was\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003eunder restrictions, the artist began imagining creating painted theatre sets or glass showcases which may be be viewed by an audience - many of which are observing online in numerous countries. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExercising at home and often in solitude is reflected in this striking and erotic painting, which many of us experienced during the global pandemic. A painted portrait of Saint Sebastion by Guido Reni sits on the artist's easel, gazing upwards at the boxer and providing company to the athlete. The inclusion of the classical portrait reminds us of how much the artist and many of us have missed visiting art museums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Great art in history has informed us about the period it was created.\" wrote Watson, as his art explores themes relevant to himself and mankind more generally during the COVID pandemic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRed is unquestionably the colour of eroticism, and the boxer's gloves, cap and jock strap, are the dominant spot colour, which pops against the greens, greys and darker tones. Vital to compositional and colour balance are the letters OX at the lower left, which refers to one of Gucci's current collaborations with Xbox, evoking the plethora of creative cross cultural, fashion and product explorations.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ross Watson Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41299957022874,"sku":"OOB-Boxer","price":30000.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0051\/6381\/0927\/products\/Boxer72dpi.jpg?v=1637385655"},{"product_id":"swimmer","title":"Swimmer","description":"\u003cp\u003eUnframed\u003cbr\u003e36 x 36 cm \/ 14\" x 14”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFramed\u003cbr\u003e57 x 57 cm \/23” x 23”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOil on board\u003cbr\u003e2022\u003cbr\u003eSigned lower right\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Private Collection, United Kingdom\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDescription\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA stunning addition to the DIORAMAS series, \u003cem\u003eSwimmer\u003c\/em\u003e, is set in a Christian Dior boutique window, and features an athletic young man sensuously basking in bright golden light, as he supports himself on swimming pool handrails.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artist imagined the scene during winter in Melbourne after seeing empty luxury fashion store windows when the city was in lockdown. Evoking one of the series central themes - solitary exercise - which many of us can relate to during the global pandemic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe perfectly square artwork possesses a certain tension brought about by the cropping of the composition, and demonstrates a superb balance of positive and negative space. Vertical and horizontal lines assist in reinforcing the swimmer's tilted angle, which is echoed in the visual line provided by the diagonal hand rail and wall shadow of a tree branch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElegant chocolate greys and black and white offer neutrality in an exquisitely restrained colour palette of pistachio green, vermillion and cadmium yellow. The sunny and relaxed disposition of this eye-catching painting radiates warmth and summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis artwork may be purchased prior to our forthcoming Melbourne Exhibition, with release of the painting after 6 February,2022.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ross Watson Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41500959899802,"sku":"OOB-Swimmer","price":25000.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0051\/6381\/0927\/products\/Swimmer72dpi.jpg?v=1642116700"}],"url":"https:\/\/sstore.rosswatson.com\/collections\/dioramas.oembed","provider":"Ross Watson Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}