Figurative painting can communicate the experience of life through its depictions of human beings engaged in various activities and interactions. By capturing the nuances of facial expressions, body language, and gestures, figurative painting can convey a sense of the joys, struggles, and complexities of human existence. It can also ignite an existential psychological response within the consciousness of the viewer.
To me, the representation of the figure can also communicate the fragility and transience of life, as well as the inevitability of death. This can be achieved through depictions of symbolic or allegorical imagery, positioning of the body, body distortions, and eliminating details that our minds are customed to recognizing. The manner in which the body is represented in contemporary art can convey a sense of impermanence or ephemerality.
