PHONE WITH GIRL IN RED (GIRL IN RED WITH PHONE), Brian Uhing

B. 1975

Signed
Oil on canvas
122 by 92 cm; 48 by 36 1/4 in.

Provenance:
In The Phone with the Girl in Red, Brian Uhing presents us with a reality rooted in depthlessness. Although stylistically reminiscent of the fashionable portraits of English artists Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) and Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792), the present scene defies the expectations of its viewers. The cake appears untouched - there are no utensils in the painting, suggesting that the dessert is for show. The withdrawn expression upon her face and her distant gaze informs us that even we, the viewers, have gone unacknowledged.

With her head turned away, she fails to sniff the fragrance of the blossom that she holds in one hand while in the other, her cellphone is held above to act as the grand evaluator of the entire scene.At her feet, several roses are strewn as if to pay homage to a glorified life that has not been fully lived.