Olivia Pye

I create oil paintings that focus on sensual depictions of the female form. Highly magnified, brightly lit, and severely cropped, my work explores themes of intimacy and voyeurism. The soft, tactile quality of skin and pores, contrasted with glossy substances or an unfocused sheen of an eye, creates a physical tension.

I am drawn to the elusive nature of sexuality. It is a fundamental part of existence, yet it remains complex and difficult to define. It can feel both intense and magnified, while also intimate, quiet, and deeply personal. The tension between performative passion and true intimacy is the space I explore in my work. The figures appear raw and unguarded, real depictions of explicit affairs, however, this vulnerability is laced with hints of superficiality: the unnatural studio lighting, the posed nature of the models, and the disingenuous expressions on their faces. Are they performing or is this a real private happening the viewer has trespassed upon?

My work aims to implicate the audience as a third party in the situation. In some pieces I frame the viewer as an unseen voyeur. The subjects may seem unaware of their presence, allowing the voyeur the opportunity to scrutinize the scene without the consequence of confrontation. In others, the viewer is confronted face-to-face by the subjects. Their gazes, though not necessarily accusatory, are also not welcoming. It serves as an “I know you are there, I know you are watching.” The viewer must now contend with their desire to see more with the unease of the direct confrontation of their intrusion. They are forced to reconcile with their feelings of being a part of this scene, as either a welcomed participant or an invasive onlooker.