Garry Shead’s Dancers series explores the relationship between a clothed man and a naked woman through a succession of closely related compositions. The theme first appeared in the mid-1990s, and forms part of Shead’s continuing interest in relationships, desire and the act of looking. Dance becomes a way of exploring the physical language of a couple, combining tenderness and passion with an element of performance.

The couple appear in an enclosed, theatrical space, usually against roughly painted walls and a red floor. The man wears a dark suit, white shirt and tie, while the woman is naked or almost naked, sometimes wearing stockings and high-heeled shoes. Their poses suggest ballroom dancing, particularly the tango, but the encounters are more intimate than conventional dance. The figures hold one another by the waist, shoulders and hands, their faces close together. In several paintings they kiss, while in others they look directly at each other or appear absorbed in the movement of the dance.

Shead varies the poses and the balance between the two figures. Sometimes the couple stand upright, formally arranged; elsewhere their bodies lean at pronounced angles or twist together in exaggerated movements. The woman’s nakedness contrasts with the man’s formal clothing, giving the scenes an erotic charge without negating their sense of shared involvement in the dance. The deliberately elongated bodies, simplified faces and loose, textured brushwork contribute to the slightly strange atmosphere of these encounters. The paintings leave the circumstances of each encounter unexplained, allowing the repeated gestures, expressions and bodily positions to carry the narrative.