I remember about 12 years ago I saw a picture of Jenny Saville in a magazine.  It was a picture I had seen the original of so I immediately noticed that a bit of post production retouching had been done to Jenny’s face.  It is the times we live in I suppose, where every image has to be retouched to the level where a magazine or paper finds it to be flattering to the subject. No one can be seen with the imperfections of humans anymore.  I know – it’s not surprising that such post production work is being done, but in Jenny’s case it is completely out of place.  Back then her work represented the gritty reality of the way we humans look.  She was known for painting the overweight in a gritty and real way – yet the magazine in question found it appropriate to make her look a little thinner and a little ‘better’.

Although Jenny’s subjects have changed her paintings are still recognisable and her subjects are still very much real.  I find the rawness and reality of her work to be very moving at a time when everybody is trying to adjust the imperfections of humanity.  Her retrospective show has just opened in Oxford and it is bound to be impressive.