The Sextant in Dogtown

Mediums: oil, acrylic, canvas.
Location: the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (the USA).

In this work, like in many of his other canvases, the artist used several images that are not combined. Unpleasant-looking clowns, or perhaps ministers of a certain rite in multi-coloured robes, are placed above attractive women who dance, undressing, at the bottom of the picture. As in most cases, David Salle does not give any explanations for his work, and the viewer has to build logical or associative chains in his head. Most often, viewers perceive the picture as a criticism of the consumer attitude to the female body – a theme characteristic of America in the 1980s. However, the author repeatedly emphasized that the work does not require a literal interpretation.