The First Born

The First Born

oil on canvas

16 x 20"

Marius Black

2010

The first born is my first Elepanta painting. Back in 2010 I was experimenting beyond my masochism art style. I was able to apply skin now on my artworks but I still wanted them to expand (or expose) their anatomy. Doing so gave the artworks quite the contrast of whites, reds and pinks and they are more pleasant and a bit more "light" to look at compared to the masochism artworks. Additionally, I wanted to experiment and explore with more colours that would work well together. Before I focused on the dark tones on the black, red and yellow of the masochism works, I was always fond of colourful contrasts and combinations. I've always been fascinated with that since I was a kid drawing and colouring my own comics, so when I went back to it on this specific piece after a long hiatus on colours, it was still there. It never really went away, I was just going through a style much like Picasso went through with his blue period among other artists who went through the same thing. 

 

Those used canvases sure are useful :)

It's just an art phase one goes through. And what happens in life greatly reflects the art one produces, and it is true with what colour one uses or theme one explores as  well. I wasn't really leaving the masochism style, but I now wanted to add color to my works. As one would say, it's a sight for sore eyes.

 

Waiting for the second layer to dry takes forever... Oh look Reservoir Dogs!

Additionally, I wanted to explore on different subject and themes. I still want to paint female figures,  I find the female figure seductive and sweet and I can't not paint or draw them whenever I see nude women. I changed the heads of my figures to elephant heads. At the time I really didn't even know about Ganesh the Hindu deity who removes obstacles, I just thought that the trunk of the elephant has grooves and wrinkles, painting that would be one heck of a challenge! And it was the same feeling I felt when I painted the masochism figures, of how I could paint the strand of muscles and make them appear that they were freshly skinned because that's the narrative of those works of mine. Of how they would glitter and appear like real meat. Thus I came up with a technique and called it Masochism. So I combined that with my love for painting the female figure and my current fascination with elephants and named my elephant head paintings on female figures Elepanta. 

My beautiful first born! <3

Did you know that Elephants are very smart? They remember everything,  hence the saying "Elephants don't forget". I once read that when elephants feel that their death is near, they come back to the spot that they were born. How could they remember that?! They also remember if you were good to them or not so you better treat elephants well. :)