Medium: gouache watercolor on watercolor block
Size: 12" x 16"
Year: 2006
Tormented by Markham is a powerful and surreal gouache watercolor on a watercolor block, created in 2006. Measuring 12" x 16", this piece is in like-new condition and includes an artist's certificate of authenticity.
This intense and thought-provoking artwork explores themes of vulnerability, destruction, and the interplay of physical and emotional conflict. The composition features intertwining phallic forms navigating the canvas with unsettling fluidity. One shatters a figurative porcelain doll—its head represented as an abstract, open oval—while another pierces the form of a similar figure leaning toward the canvas's depth.
The backdrop is adorned with overlapping X-Acto blades, forming a sharp and foreboding environment that contrasts with the organic curvature of the central forms. A steel rod penetrates one of the phallic shapes, dripping blood at the exit point, emphasizing the visceral and raw nature of the scene.
Markham's masterful use of gouache watercolor imbues the piece with layered textures and stark contrasts, balancing delicate, translucent tones with striking, visceral imagery. This bold and evocative work is a profound exploration of tension and fragility, making it an arresting centerpiece for any collection of surrealist or emotionally charged art.
