James Guppy, 'Tension' 1995, acrylic on marine plywood, 29.7 x 90cm
Whilst it could be seen simply as a beautiful painting of a flower, the delicate petals pierced with gold rings and strung tightly across the work could also be seen as a highly sexualised abstraction of female genitalia. Referencing the piercing culture of adolescents, Guppy blends the obvious with the obscure in the 1995 painting 'Tension'. On closer inspection, the darkly patterned background delicately applied in rich green tones, reveals a series of repeated 'grotesque' figures that meld and blend to become a version of erotic wallpaper. The painting is from the Gynaeceum series of works referencing internal organs as flowers. 'Tension' is an exceptional example of Guppy's mid-1990s work with a carefully varnished finish that highlights his precise application of paint and attention to detail.
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