Wet Seal 1966

This is Allen Jones’ ‘Wet Seal’. I’m thinking it’s made with oil paint, probably sometime in the 60s. Look at the sheen on those leggings. It’s almost like Jones is sculpting with light, using these subtle gradations of tone to suggest volume, and, you know, the way these materials kind of cling. And then there's this puddle at the bottom. It’s kind of ambiguous, like you can't quite tell what it is. Is it paint? Is it part of the image? It’s almost an abject mess, but also kind of compelling. It feels like an intrusion, or an invitation, into the work. For me, this piece has a real kinship with the work of someone like Nicole Eisenman, in the way it embraces this kind of awkward, slightly perverse, sense of humor.