Fatso, 2009
Information about the artwork
- MaterialOil on canvas
- Dimensions231.1 x 213.4 cm
- Inventory numberUAB 921
- On viewCurrently not exhibited
- Copyright© Amy Sillman. Photo: Museum Brandhorst, Bavarian State Collections, 2022
More about the artwork
Amy Sillman’s paintings result from a confrontation with the body. According to the artist, painting is “not limited to perception via the retina, it is a total body experience.” Her large-scale compositions emerge layer by layer in a process of form-finding and dissolution. “Fatso” is a fitting example of this. A cartoon-like voluminous body looms at the center of the painting: a fat lump, as the title explains. But everything seems to be in motion. The body refuses to find a fixed form; it extends into increasingly thick rolls. These, in turn, are framed by shapes reminiscent of a backrest, or fingers. The fact that this one-eyed “Fatso” looks so miserable can be understood as both a humorous and gloomy illustration of artistic self-doubt. Above all, however, it conveys, in a wholly physical manner, a sense of uneasiness with one’s own body.
