The Wedding Bed Painting

"The Wedding Bed," 2013-2014. Acrylic on canvas (painting) 36.0" H x 36.0" W (91.44 x 91.44 cm) / Organic Realism (style) "The Wedding Bed" marks the beginning of a fascinating new series by Jay Worth Allen, The Celebration of Marriage, created by the innovative imagery of nudes in water, producing an allegorical triumph on canvas. Brilliantly executed, "The Wedding Bed" personifies the formal union of a man and a woman, by which they become husband and wife, paying homage to Adam's declaration in Genesis, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, the two shall become one flesh." In the narration of "The Wedding Bed," we see a male and female nude engaged in water-play. They are body painting with water on top of a large glass, where the viewer has been allowed access into the very moment of transcendent transformation into their synergistic relationship. On the left side of the canvas, the man is facing the woman while lying on his left side. On the right side of the canvas, the woman is facing the man while lying on her right side. Together, the overall image is of one being: The two shall become one. Created during what Jay Worth Allen lightheartedly calls his "blue" period (literally by exploring cobalt, cerulean and other blue pigments), the artist's fluid use of blue, white and light flesh tone acrylic paint to place his nude subjects playing in water, is profound. Water, a basic element in nature, has been used in art since the beginning of creation. "In the beginning God . . . hovered over the waters . . . divided the waters . . ." Leonardo da Vinci was fascinated by it; Botticelli's 1480 "Birth of Venus" has inspired painters for centuries, such as Raphael, Cabanel, Bouguereau, ad infinitum. Water refreshes, rejuvenates, cleanses. It speaks of being born anew. The works in Jay Worth Allen's new series provide a fresh opportunity, a rejuvenated view into the exploration of marriage through joy. The works in this series are of particular importance, given the sociopolitical climate in which they were created, celebrating the sacred union between man and woman, or as the artist states, "Pronouns and delusions do not trump biology or God," often reiterating, "And God said, Let us make man in our image . . . So . . . in the image of God created He him;. . . male and female created he them. And God blessed them . . ." Two additional works in this ongoing series, The Celebration of Marriage, are also being offered, "After The Moment," and "Diana Sleeping." Please visit Jay Worth Allen's profile for more information, and to view other works currently being offered through Saatchi Art. We appreciate and encourage any comments. Thank you. Regarding shipping: This work will be shipped in accordance to Saatchi Art's shipping guidelines (removed from its stretcher, rolled and shipped in a professional mailing tube). Otherwise, please contact the artist to discuss other shipping methods (which may possibly incur additional shipping costs). *Inspiration for the imagery to execute this profound series began with the works of post-World War II painter, Yves Klein--in particular, Klein's application of his unique blue tone using nude female models as brushes. A short while later, the artist came across the photographic works of Wolfgang Pietrzok. Viewing Pietrzok's photos of nude models in water combined with that of Klein's Blue Women, Jay Worth Allen's innovative imagination was ripe to execute a series of paintings celebrating the joys of marriage--but, as he puts it, "I waited 25 years to start the series!" During discussion with the photographer about Jay Worth Allen's latest works, Pietrzok, also inspired by Klein, was overjoyed to learn of this new series, remarking on the beauty of how inspiration from one artist to another takes such a uniquely original turn.