Katie Tomlinson
11 3/4 x 11 3/4 in.
Further images
The title comes from one of the most immense love ballads of all time and is one from a series (named after Meatloaf songs) that explore power imbalances within intimate moments between lovers, such as dependency and co-dependency and how these can blur identity. Intensely red, this is the darkest of the works that speaks about a violent, controlling relationship, with many obvious and glaring imbalances. The dominant figure is literally sucking the face of the other and angry teeth are biting back to protect themselves.
Woven through Tomlinson's paintings are layers of meaning and cultural and art historical references. They invite and encourage multiple readings acknowledging the nuance in the discussions she initiates. As a viewer we flit between enjoyment, reassured by their nostalgic familiarity, bathing in their warm glow, and feeling disquieted by an undercurrent of darkness that flows through them.
This work is oil and oil bar on panel.
Exhibitions
At Least Buy Me Dinner First, Brooke Benington, London (2022)A star is just a memory of a star, Brooke Benington, Online (2022)
Literature
Contemporary Art Projects: Interview with Katie Tomlinson (online)
https://contemporaryartprojects.art.blog/category/interviews/ by Stephen Feather
Inside the Physical: An Essay on Katie Tomlinson’s Exhibition ‘Fight the Moon' by Jenny Eden
https://katietomlinson.co.uk/introduction