Ross Watson

Ross Watson - Untitled

Ross Watson's series of pictures combining old masters and photographs of young men is a technically interesting for the skill with which he blends colours, textures and the models poses into a seamless composition. The choice of Francoise Sagat to play the crucifixion victim (above) is apt given that model's fascination with the bizarre. Transplanting a person you feel you know into a representation of a historical drama which you also recognise gives this image a frisson of unreality and fetishistic danger which is entirely appropriate for this blog.

Ross Watson - UntitledThis example is less successful because the adaptation doesn't go with the flow of the original picture. The man emerging from the sea has a delightful slender torso (which is why I selected it) but he isn't connecting with the other characters and I can't work out why he's wading along with his arms over his head like that, unless he's sleep walking.

Most of the images in this series end up looking surrealist rather than staying true to the original but serve to illustrate that the gulf between that movement and the old masters is less than one might suppose. I have posted another example on my mitchmen2 blog

You can also find more examples of this work at Beautiful together with a gushing review which is a work of art in itself!