Eesti kunsti oksjonid

Oil on canvas. 1972/74
Signature: Kõks 74. / <Modellen> Endel Kõks 1972/74

Endel Kõks (1912-1983), a Pallas graduate, was one of the most innovative exiled artists who freely and uniquely followed new trends in art. In this painting, Kõks solves an interesting formal problem: how to combine the traditional female nude with pop art images and monochrome painting. The latter technique had become popular, especially among younger painters in the USA and England, and Kõks positions himself as a very modern, trend-conscious master by utilizing it.

On the other hand, with this painting, he presents his own version of Goya’s famous paintings “The Naked House” and “The Dressed House” but unlike Goya, painted on the same canvas. It is interesting that the self-conscious and thoughtful expression of the naked woman is contrasted with the shy woman dressing herself – one would usually think that the models’ expressions should actually be the opposite, in contrast to the motif? But isn’t the emergence of discussions about art one of its most exciting parts?

The painting was exhibited at Endel Kõks’ solo exhibition at the Estonian House in New York in the fall of 1974 (source: Tiiu Talvistu, “Endel Kõks. With Courage, Freedom and Joy”, p. 263).

Text by Harry Liivrand