Monday 26 October 2020

Love in an Age of Pestilence: Minuet

 


The second print for Rugby Open 2020. This one is obviously about social distance, and having to make that calculation. But unlike my pre-Covid print “Purgatory”, with its uncomfortable alienation, my protagonists here are aiming to close the gap. My wife suggested the footprint stickers you see in shops to make you queue at proper distances. And that put me in mind of the illustrations in ballroom dancing books.

I had called it Minuet even before it had really formed in my mind. I wanted some form of distant dancing, and the minuet with its arms-length figures seemed just right for our time. As the idea developed, it became a much more sexy dance, more tango-like, as they seek to close the social distance.

This one is a mix of wood and lino. I really liked the individual elements, but struggled with the composition. This is version 3 or 4, with different colours, distances between the protagonists, background shapes. But at last I’ve arrived at something with the right dynamic. I like the movement it gives them, especially her.

Anyway, the story continues.

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