The Black an white oil paintings of nude males by E. Gibbons are sensual impressions of almost allegorical subjects. Some of the paintings have a rather obvious theme like ‘The Time’, a nude male holding some kind of clockwork inside the limited space of the box. While others have a more open theme, like the painting of a male holding a sphere. The oil paintings are nearly life-size and the artist uses real models and photographs to create his work.
There are two things I really like about his art. The first thing is that he limits himself to use only black and white in his palette. Besides the classical looks he achieves with this limitation it’s also giving the paintings a surreal untouchable feeling. And because the scene itself has the same unreal setting it makes it’s concept rather strong. The black and white paint also gives a mayor role to the suggestion of light and shadows. And this is really marvelously done indeed.
The second thing I like about this paintings is that they are almost becoming icons in a way. They are such a simple, strong concept that you are not likely to forget it. Again The strength of simplicity, but not the boring modernistic simplicity, but the one with indeed a story.
Link to the Art Gallery that features the Oil Paintings of E. Gibbons
