Martin Yeoman in His Studio
- Oil on Canvas
- 40 x 40 in
- Thomas J. Coates
Absolutely no photography is permitted in lap-dancing clubs, and so for many, this is an unseen world. Martin Yeoman's goal as an artist is to re-interpret this and to take possession again of a combination of nudity and movement. Inspired by Tolouse-Lautrec, Degas & Walter Sickert, Yeoman explores the line between what is acceptable and what is so harsh it makes the viewer want to turn away. Across eleven years Yeoman has moved from countless rapid sketches made at the clubs into prints, then pastels & small oils. The last stage of his process involved working with individual dancers in context in order to portray the persona each takes over while on stage. His ability to capture the enormity of the subject on a large scale allows the viewer into that moment of connection when the paying crowd is mesmerized & even in a naked state, the woman has all the power. -- Here fellow British artist & former President of the Royal Society of British Artists, Thomas Coates portrays the artist in his studio, surrounded by works in progress.