Jason E. Collinge

Aria (11 x 14 inches: Pen & Ink on Paper)

"Aria Nude" was inspired by various sources.  Among these is the 7 foot 1 inch, marble statue of Hermes c. 330-320 B.C. by Praxiteles of Greece currently housed in the Museum, Olympia.  Here, as in the sculpture, the lithe proportions, the sinuous curve of the torso, the gentle play of curves lend to a sense of complete relaxation which is further enhanced by the use of the wall as a support for the figure to lean against.  All of the afore-mentioned qualities also agree with the character of the Cnidian Aphrodite.  The caressing treatment of the dress, the faint smile, the meltingly soft, "veiled" modeling of the features help bring the subject to life.  Even the hair, left comparatively rough for contrast, shares the silky feel of the rest of the piece.  The model's uplifted arm lending a more sensuous aspect to her mood and the overall atmosphere of the piece; the body "acting out" the spirit's passion, at once calm and tense.  The action-in-repose so characteristic of Michelangelo's Neo-Platonic image of the body as the earthly prison of the soul, is shown here to a lesser yet somehow more exotic and possibly erotic extent than in Michelangelo's work (Example: Michelangelo, "The Dying Slave".  1513-1516.  Marble, Height 90 inches.  The Louvre, Paris.)

The Guitarist (8.5 x 10 inches: Pen & Ink on Paper)

The Karate Master (8.5 x 10 inches: Pen & Ink on Paper)

Yoga Pose (8.5 x 11 inches: Charcoal on Paper)