Figure skaters II (Russia Series)

This painting, inspired from a 1964 cover of the Soviet weekly, Ogonek (Little Flame), started out as a careful rendering of the dancing pair, who seemed to me to constitute a stunning combination of grace, strength and athleticism, all physical attributes highly valued in the Soviet Union, where there was a cult of physical fitness. I was attracted to the expressions on the faces of the two skaters, both entirely absorbed in their joyful activity. The more I worked on the painting, the more I tried to capture the movement and explosive nature of the activity and the more I began to feel the pent-up frustrations of Soviet citizens as they struggled in the daily lives to freely express themselves. This almost abstract painting is what came out in the end.