In Player 4 (Nymph), Katie Tomlinson reinterprets William-Adolphe Bouguereau's classic painting Nymphs and Satyr. The original painting is not recognisable as the artist has focused on a voyeuristic close-up of...
In Player 4 (Nymph), Katie Tomlinson reinterprets William-Adolphe Bouguereau's classic painting Nymphs and Satyr. The original painting is not recognisable as the artist has focused on a voyeuristic close-up of one body part, mimicking male gaze. This choice suggests anonymity and objectification, a nod to the erasure of women's identities in art and culture.
The pink and red hues in the body echo the colours of the stonefish, further emphasising vulnerability mixed with aggression. The stonefish, known for its camouflaging abilities and for its painful stings, becomes a metaphor for the latent strength of women kept at bay by patriarchal forces. Tomlinson conferes to the nymph a colourful armour, reflecting both beauty and danger, protection and threat.
The incorporation of oil and sand on the panel adds a tactile element, with the artist's own boot imprints subtly visible on the surface. This physical gesture mimics both the objectification of women and how they have been treated throughout history and also the act of stepping on a stonefish and getting stung. This painting speaks of the unexpressed power of women who have been quietly waiting under the sand, ready to sting who dares to step on them.