Contextual Response

Somaya Critchlow

Somaya Critchlow uses herself to act out her different desires for a painting, ‘Creating a new history where Black female nudes possess an equal nobility to figures found in Old Masters’’ (Hessle. K, 2022, p 456). I found this idea of using yourself as the subject to experiment with different narratives engaging. This method has been used throughout the canon of women painters as outlined by J. Higgies, who said: ‘A reflection not only of what someone looks like but who they are and what they think and feel about the world.’ (Higgie, J. 2021, P17).

Critchlow’s portraits are of Black Women in a conversation beyond the canvas. The characters often return our gaze and stare back at us with an inviting lull, experimenting with preserved power structures, (Baksh, M. 2022) offering a ‘moody sexiness’ that’s equally 'kitsch’. (Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth DelMonico Books, 2022, P49)

Somaya Critchlow, The Maid (Madame S), 2022, oil on linen, 95 × 66 cm.

Somaya Critchlow, Figure Holding a little Teacup, 2019, oil on linen

Critchlow’s method of using her own body to act out ideas and problematic situations removes elements of objectification, which I struggle with in my practice. As soon as I paint another woman, as much as I wish not to, I am objectifying them. During the lecture, Critchlow described how she enjoys reading difficult books such as ‘The Right to Sex’, laughing at her own sadistic approach while she described ‘harrowing’ essays about consent culture. This interest into the difficult is reflected by Ashby, who said: ‘I think there’s a perverse part of me that likes to delve into subject matter that’s off-limits.’ (Ashby, C. 2022).

Critchlow’s use of scale is significant as her works reference the portrait miniatures. During the lecture, her works were projected on a massive scale; which she said looked comical. Miniatures were often designed for ‘private enjoyment- or even fetish’ (Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth DelMonico Books, 2022, P140) and when looking at her works, you feel as though you could easily hold them. Furthermore, due to their size, you must get physically close to examine the work in depth. I found this physical reaction the same when looking at Critchlow’s work and my Egg Tempera painting: ‘Ellie’. An important juxtaposition exists between the hugely powerful message of a painting presented on a tiny canvas; inviting you to hold and yet evoking racial and feminist issues surrounding touch and consent.

Bibliography

Ashby, C. (2022) The Guardian, Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/nov/25/a-perverse-part-of-me-likes-to-delve-into-whats-off-limits-somaya-critchlow-on-her-taboo-breaking-art Accessed on: 10/01/23

Hessel, K. (2022) The Story of Art Without Men. First Edition . Great Britain: Hutchinson Heinemann

Baksh, M. (2022) Somaya Critchlow’s Women Know Something We Don’t, Frieze. Available at: https://www.frieze.com/article/somaya-critchlow-afternoon-darkness-2022-review Accessed on: 09/12/22

Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth DelMonico Books (2022) Women Painting Women. Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth DelMonico Books (Extra Info – Curated by Andrea Karnes)