British eccentricity

By deliberately exaggerating the image, the artist can lead the viewer away from the surrounding reality into another world that also looks real, but is completely unfamiliar. English artist Stanley Spencer (1891-1959), born in Cookham, drew inspiration from the Christian faith. In many of his paintings, rural residents are shown in modern versions of traditional religious subjects: for example, “Resurrection” (1924-1926). In this picture, the figures are depicted so inflated that it seems as if they are about to fly into the sky.

Although Spencer did not seek deliberate distortion, such examples arouse the viewer’s curiosity. Popular contemporary artist Veryl Cooke (1926) portrays people as incredibly fat to make them look funnier. Continue reading →