Contortions - Maryline Lièvre - Artiste-peintre à Montpellier

I have always sought to test the limits of the human body, being fascinated by contortion from a young age. In this series of paintings, I explore the body as an envelope, playing with its limits and possibilities. The silhouettes are defined by what surrounds them, painted in negative on ink or acrylic backgrounds or delimited by large outlines.

Contortions on canvas

Painting of a stylized dancer silhouette painted in white on a light blue background — “En promenade” (‘On a stroll’)
Acrylic on canvas, 50×70 cm, 2022

Painting of a human silhouette stretching painted in white on a yellow-orange background. — “Salutation en jaune I” (‘Salutation in yellow I’)
Acrylic on canvas, 25x50x3,5 cm, 2022

Silhouette of a human figure in a yoga pose painted in white on a yellow-orange background. — “Salutation en jaune II” (‘Salutation in yellow II’)
Acrylic on canvas, 25x50x3,5 cm, 2022

Original painting of a contortionist, its white silhouette drawn on a cobalt blue background. Artwork by Maryline Lièvre — “Assouplissement I en bleu” (‘Stretching I in blue’)
Acrylic on canvas, 50x50x2 cm, 2022

Square modern artwork un green and white. Painting of an acrobat by Maryline Lièvre — “Assouplissement IV en vert” (‘Stretching IV in green’)
Acrylic on canvas, 50x50x2 cm, 2022

Small square painting with an acrobat painted with white on an ultramarine background — “Petit assouplissement IV en outremer” (‘Small stretching IV in ultramarine’)
Acrylic on canvas, 20x20x2cm, 2022

Contemporary painting of a white silhouette with a black outline stretching over a yellow-orange background. — “Dos creux” (‘Hollow back’)
Acrylic on canvas, 20x20x2 cm, 2022

Minimalist painting of a person with a round back, white silhouette with a black outline on a periwinkle blue background — “Dos rond” (‘Round back’)
Acrylic on canvas, 20x20x2cm, 2022

Small square painting of a contortionist silhouette painted in white on an emerald green background. — “Petit assouplissement II en vert” (‘Small stretching II in green’)
Acrylic on canvas, 20x20x2cm, 2022

“Séance d’assouplissement I” (‘Stretching session I’)
Acrylic on linen canvas, 20x20x2 cm, 2021. Donation to the Lions Club Montpellier la Séranne.

Acrobat painting with black silhouette and white outline on a small linen canvas — “Réflexion en noir”
Acrylic on linen canvas, 20x20x2 cm, 2021

The figures I trace have neither face nor gender, they are reduced to their strict minimum in order to let the eye focus on the shape. Freeing themselves from anatomical rigor, the silhouettes lengthen, the limbs stretch and slim, creating constrained but supple contortions.