Figurative art, essentially, art that shows something from the real, visible world has been around for as long as humans have been making images. It’s one of those creative threads that just never disappears. In the Western Hemisphere, it’s played a huge role in shaping how people see themselves and their surroundings, from ancient civilizations all the way to today.
Baja Cave Paintings
Unlike abstract art, which can feel more like a departure from reality, figurative art sticks with it sometimes closely, sometimes with a twist. It can be as straightforward as a portrait or as expressive as a stylized landscape. Think animals, people, places anything you might recognise, even if it’s been reimagined.
From prehistoric cave paintings in the Americas to modern day silhouettes and portraits, figurative art has stayed front and centre. Artists keep coming back to it as a way to explore identity, culture, nature, and what it means to be human. And honestly, that’s probably why it’s never gone out of style it keeps evolving, but it always feels familiar.
At Studio 74 we play host to a number of artists with a focus on the figurative. Todd White obsessively studies detail, capturing a wide cast of characters framed by the props of their daily performances, drinks, books, clothing, even the occasional cleaver.
Constantly people-watching, he sketches whenever inspiration strikes, collecting ideas for future work. Though drawn from everyday life, his perspective is distinctly offbeat, reshaping how we see others and the roles we play.
Todd White - Richmond Blues II
Christy Lee Rogers is an award-winning photographer who stages real models and compositions to create baroque-inspired images shaped by the wild force of water.
Using a distinctive nighttime underwater technique and refracted light, she turns submerged bodies into ethereal, otherworldly scenes where figures drift in a ballet of motion and emotion, exploring both physicality and spirit
Christy Lee Rogers - I Dreamed a Dream in the Presence of Reason
Anna Mazzotta evokes the glamour of a bygone era, painting from imagination and drawing on the hedonism and sensuality of cabaret and classic cinema.
Her work is intimate yet playful, capturing the emotional complexity of her characters with a depth that reveals something new each time.
Anna Mazzotta - LIVE From Bristol