Grey Nude was painted in 2008. Part of O’Sullivan’s ‘Grey Painting’ collection. The Nude is turned away from the viewer. In this paused moment of time it is uncertain if the figure is in the act of disrobing or covering up. The piece evokes a stillness and invites the viewer to meditate on themes of self and other which arise from the artist’s rapid execution of the acrylic painting using a deftly brushed wet in wet technique.
About the Grey Painting collection:
Primarily painted in the summer between 2008-2009. The series consists of un-exhibited work in the artist’s private collection which explore O’Sullivan’s experience with debilitating, clinical melancholia. The Grey series consists of acrylic paintings made using a wet in wet technique that requires immediate execution of the painting in a race against the clock to beat Sydney, Australia’s sweltering summer temperatures.