Peter Corlett
Sue
On his return to Melbourne in the early 1980's after a period as
artist-in-residence at the University of Exeter (1979-1980),
sculptor Peter Corlett continued to explore the ideas of producing
lifesized portraits in resin. As Corlett stated at the time
"Not all are portraits which glorify, nor ones which are overly
analytical; they are just gentle 'warts and all' portraits but
closely observed."
Sue, modelled on the artist's former wife, was one of a series
of 13 nudes exhibited by Corlett at Realities Gallery in
1984. The figure is posed with one arm hanging down and the
other bent at the elbow so that her hand rests confidently on her
hip. The expression on her face is an open one that gives the
impression that it is perfectly natural for the viewer to be
encountering her en deshabillé. She is not completely nude
however; somewhat capriciously Sue is wearing a pair of high heels
that emphasise the tension in her carefully balanced body.