Jenny Saville

Yesterday my mum and I went and saw the Jenny Saville exhibition at Modern Art Oxford. Saville has to be one of my favourite artists, in fact my entire A-Level Art was inspired by her work. The first piece I ever saw was "Juncture" on a school trip and I was instantly completely drawn in...

Juncture

Her pieces are massive and command the attention of the entire room. Pictures simply don't do it justice. This exhibition is Saville's first solo exhibit in a UK public gallery and features a range of different work. 

In her earlier work she explored the female form, spending time in a New York plastic surgery. The piece entitled "Fulcrum", in which 3 obese women are piled on top of one another depicts this perfectly. The painting took her almost 2 years.

Fulcrum

Her more recent work reflects the 'seismic shift' that comes with having children. In 2 years a child changes dramatically, leading Saville to explore different methods. 

Reproduction Drawing III

The Reproduction series reflect the movement and constant change that comes with children and pregnancy. Although her work is incredibly free and has this hint of abstraction, it is also extremely detailed. This is one of the reasons I love it so much, every time you look at it you experience something different. 

I thoroughly recommend checking the exhibition out - it's free! The gallery is a beautiful space. We then went on to look around the Ashmolean (also free!) and had tea on their roof terrace. A perfect day out.