acrylic, canvas, 140 × 90 cm

purchased in 2022

The painting comments on the times we live in in a restrained, yet poetic and enigmatic way. Dominating the colour scheme is a pink feather boa — one of the symbols of the cancan, a dance associated with eroticism, loose morals and the provocative nature of Parisian society at the beginning of the 20th century. A sensual era in which omnipresent sexuality — even in product advertising — plays a crucial role; a world of abnormalised pleasures and material excess. This forms a decadent layer of the present-day world in which we live. What stands out in Rodkova’s painting, however, is the contrasting visual presence of an indeterminate figure — more masculine than feminine — who appears uncertain and bewildered, seemingly unable to navigate this world. Perhaps the sensual boa burdens rather than uplifts them.

Translation created with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT).