tango art

These were done after a milonga one night. I went into my studio at 2am and put on some tango music and began to create. I find that dancing opens me up and unblocks my energy so that when I paint afterwards I am in the right state of mind and all my emotions are closer to the surface and easily expressed on the canvas with very little hesitancy or doubt. I didn't have much visual reference for this so I relied on my memories of Buenos Aires and the residual feelings of the vibe and tone, mood and rawness of the dance. Because I have seen much tango art done in a very refined and realistic way, I wanted to avoid this and add something different. I also feel that tango's true essence is gritty, imperfect, never finished, and totally about feeling and intensity and it's roots are the antithesis of pretty and refined. So I wanted to capture these things and chose a style that expressed this more raw and human, even primitive side of the dance. I added slight tones of red in the background to accentuate the mood and bring out the figures. Also using the negative space to capture the fluidity of movement and energy. Tango is not Swing. It is not light and bubbly...it is by definition, melancholy and rich with layers of complexity and intensity. And for that it is enchanting to watch, dance or paint, because it draws you in to your own depths and shows you where you are holding on or holding back. It is a very hungry and possesive lover, always wanting more of you, and the best from you.