The work: Alan Todd, MS VENDETTA CAME HOME ALONE, 2019. Oil on canvas, 152 x 152cm. $2,250. Courtesy: the artist
The work of Adelaide-based artist Alan Todd maintains a fluid balance of abstraction and autobiography, immortalising lived experiences without resorting to facsimile. In his piece MS VENDETTA CAME HOME ALONE, a figure emerges from rushing passages of colour, her long legs striking out across the surface. She represents Ms Vendetta, the alter ego of a friend of the artist who emerges on stage during their pole-dancing performances. “As this outrageous character, anything is possible,” says Todd, “but once the lights and music are done with, there is only aloneness.” As such, the palette chosen by Todd for this piece is both representative and evocative. Red paint is applied with vigour, both passionate and perhaps angry, with only a thin line separating it from stretches of grey and blue. It echoes the roaring energy of the dance and the bright lights of centre stage, dazzling audiences. At the same time, it reveals an internal struggle, between the vivacious Ms Vendetta and the realities that her real-life counterpart must face. Nevertheless, the figure’s strength is apparent, their legs muscular from their commitment to their craft and their shoulders set straight. They face toward the tumult, demonstrating the artist’s faith in both sides of their friend.