Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1539744
Jenny Saville at The Modern Figuration Reinventing From top left, all works by Jenny Saville, at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth: Drift, 2020-2022. Stare, 2004-2005. A u g u s t u s O w e n Foundation's Peter Augustus Owen chats with Andrea K a r n e s , c h i e f curator, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, on the eve of one of the top shows of the fall in the American museum world. This month, "Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting" travels from London's National Portrait Gallery to The Modern, its only U.S. stop. Karnes shares insights and an insider's perspective — a PaperCity exclusive. Peter Augustus Owen: In an era where the human body is often reduced to a series of curated images on social media, Jenny Saville's paintings stand as unapologetic, visceral declarations of physicality, challenging how we perceive beauty and identity in contemporary culture. What resonates with you personally and professionally? Andrea Karnes: Jenny's work feels profoundly human, and I respond to that. She doesn't shy away from complexity — there's rawness, vulnerability, and strength in each work. Professionally, I really love her fearless approach to scale and subject matter. She has redefined figurative painting, and she's given the body a monumental presence that is contemporary, but also timeless. PAO: Her paintings are known for thick brushstrokes and flesh tones. How do medium and scale shape their impact? AK: The paint itself feels alive. Those thick brushstrokes and fleshy colors give the figures a physical presence; you feel the weight of the body or head. Scale makes that even more powerful. When you stand in front of a work by Jenny Saville, it's immersive. You experience it with your whole body. PAO: This survey includes paintings and charcoal drawings. Which works stand out for you? AK: This is a super-tough question. I'd say Fulcrum, 1998–1999, is an early milestone. The interlocked figures create this sense of weight and balance, almost like a human landscape. And then a work like Stare, 2004– 2005, for its almost cold palette, even though it contains warm colors, too, and for her handling of paint, which is thick and deliberate in places, but looser and more gestural in others. The combination gives the work a psychological resonance — it's not just about looking at a figure, it's about the intensity of looking. More recent works like Drift, 2020-2022, focus on heads instead of bodies, and Painting Redefining PRIVATE COLLECTION. © JENNY SAVILLE. COURTESY GAGOSIAN. THE BROAD ART FOUNDATION. © JENNY SAVILLE. COURTESY GAGOSIAN.