Seasick
There is an inherent fluidity in Eileen Cooper’s artistic process. She often revisits her works weeks or months after starting them, transforming the original compositions into something new. Seasick (1989) went through many different stages. The male figure was initially depicted holding the red woman, but his body was later painted out. Instead the two forms float along the sea and sky, which are uninterrupted by a horizon line.
Cooper created this work shortly after giving birth to her second child. The female figures – who represent two versions of the same woman – are being pulled in different directions, which Cooper connects to the experience of being a young mother and an artist. The small boat, illuminated in a pool of light, is symbolic of the journey through life. The title, Seasick, points to emotional turmoil and is reminiscent of the cliché that 'life isn’t always plain sailing'. The bright red tones and nakedness of the women give the painting a primal quality.
