A series on how film noir inspires my art- Final Entry!

©lesliepetersonsapp Miss Darger II 24x30

©lesliepetersonsapp The Knave of Swords 30x20

Similar to the myths and stories of old, the characters are driven by forces larger than themselves and are so very, very human. Often being brought down by their own drives and weaknesses, they are driven by a futile effort to cheat Fate. The themes are undying elements of what it is to be human. In the words of the Czar of Noir, Eddie Muller, film noir is "suffering with style".

By utilizing the elastic armature of the elements of film noir, I create art that is charged with longing, adventure, romance, and intrigue. I am able to expand and deepen my skills as a person and an artist, all the while having the time of my life.

©lesliepetersonsapp Circle Mirror 36x36

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #9

Why is Shakespeare still so popular after all this time? It's because his stories and characters are timeless. There have been countless versions of his plays where the settings and characters’ identities are changed to bring new interpretations to the story presented. The characters in noir are as vivid and fundamental as an archetype. They are so solid they can be dressed up in any outer appearance and still resonate, still express the noir sensibility.

There are a profusion of examples of crime novels that star characters of many kinds, from the famous private eye Easy Rollins, to tough gay guy/investigator Dave Brandstetter.

©lesliepetersonsapp Bars 16x20

They don’t coyly refer to themselves as being "film noir" or use signifiers to make them seem like cultural artifacts.  There is no breaking down of the fourth wall. It is as if we could walk through the picture frame and become part of the action. If this could be possible, what would we see, and who would be there?

©lesliepetersonsapp Incognito 10x8

©lesliepetersonsapp The Hanged Man 32x18

It is easy for me to depict white, cis-gender women. It’s more of a stretch to depict scenes with people outside my personal lived experience. But the figures in my work and in my imagination sometimes take on a life of their own, and want to be expressed as they are: male, non-white, queer... To not follow these impulses would, in effect, be negating their existence. Whether I handle this successfully is a question I continually ask myself.

©lesliepetersonsapp Keys 40x48

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #8

©lesliepetersonsapp Pursuit 24x48

In my artwork, the space can be complicated and sometimes difficult to navigate. The claustrophobic, multi-layered space illustrate the sometimes-turgid complexity of our minds and relationships. The identity of figures is often obscured, sometimes visually competing with shadows that seem more alive than they are.

©lesliepetersonsapp Search 48x40

The hall of mirrors scene, The Lady From Shanghai

Mirrors, doorways and windows proliferate, creating dazzling illusions, and act as apertures into other worlds. The dark, chiaroscuro lighting symbolizes obscured meanings and secrets withheld.

©lesliepetersonsapp Many a Moon 38x38

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #7

©lesliepetersonsapp Vacancy 48x40

©lesliepetersonsapp Urgent 48x24

I, on the other hand, have developed a preference for a life of minimal drama. Life is too damn short to spend it with worry and strife. Yet, in much the same way someone may like a good war movie, yet has no desire to engage in combat, many of us achieve a certain catharsis by watching the sufferings of the glamorous figures in a film noir. My art is charged with longing, drama, sexual tension, taboos, and covert couplings. Like a private eye, snapping a picture through a window, we espy people in places they are not supposed to be, or with someone they ought not to be with.

As Phyllis and Walter said in this famous exchange in Double Indemnity: Phyllis: “We're both rotten.” Walter: “Only you're a little more rotten.”

Double Indemnity

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #6

Night and the City

Placing that call (or hitting "send"). That second drink. Saying yes (or no). A scheme. A move. A journey. A purchase. How many times have our worser impulses lead us into misadventure?

©lesliepetersonsapp Backlight 38x48

A fatal attraction to the “bad boy” is the plight of many an otherwise prudent woman. Many are compelled to “fix” or heal a wounded man. The bad boy seems like a shiny, bright apple on the tree of life, just out of reach. Women tell themselves, “If only I could reach him, hold him, heal him. Then he would be mine.”

The simple fact is, in our society, men suffer from emotional isolation and alienation. This is no cakewalk, and should not be in any way romanticized. Yet, the figure of the bad boy, the homme fatale is as romantic as they come. There is a type of strength that we associate with the quiet suffering we associate with masculinity. The lonely man, isolated and aloof has great dramatic and sexual appeal.

©lesliepetersonsapp Look Out 30x24

©lesliepetersonsapp The Boxer 30x40

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #5

First, let us examine the word Femme.⁠ Merriam-Webster:⁠ Femme: ⁠ 1. an adult female person⁠ 2. a lesbian who is notably or stereotypically feminine in appearance and manner⁠ ⁠Its French, you know? It comes from the French word for woman. Next, let us examine the word Fatale. ⁠ ⁠Another French word. It means "fatal”. Merriam-Webster:

©lesliepetersonsapp Queen of Diamonds 30x20

The Femme Fatale is like a fairy tale princess turned on its head. She is the anti-princess. Her nemesis.

The word “nemesis” is often used to refer to an arch enemy or polar opposite, or, as my friend Merriam-Webster sez, “a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent”.

Classic film noir emerged during a time of immense social upheaval. Women had gone out into the working world during WWII, then were abruptly required to get back to the home and be nice. The Femme Fatale was an expression of this anxiety, an attempt to vilify powerful women and shame them back into the kitchen.

Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity

Gloria Grahame in The Big Heat

Though she is usually regarded as a destructive force of evil, in actuality she is often portrayed with layers of nuance- if you care to look. It is often clear that she is a woman who doesn’t have a lot of choices. She is trying to flip a bad situation to her advantage, perhaps turning the tables of power back on the men who use and control her. For me, the Femme Fatale is often infused with a tragic quality: a resourceful gal, just trying to make the best from a bad hand dealt.

In the course of my personal maturity, I am finding my way to a healthier embodiment of power. It has taken most of my adult life to build up some understanding of how to be an entrepreneur, which is essentially what a professional artist is. I’ve had a lot of catching up to do.

©lesliepetersonsapp Blue Room 40x40

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #4

Italian travel poster, Mario Puppo, 1948

Italian travel poster, Mario Puppo, 1941

Blind Minotaur Led through the Night by Girl with Fluttering Dove, Picasso, 1935

The Little Fish, Max Beckmann, 1933

Charles Sheeler, Canyons, 1951

©lesliepetersonsapp Glass Houses 30x28

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #3

an art movement that started at the turn of the 20th century, and encompassed painting, theater, music, literature, and the brand-new medium of film. It sought to express emotion and subjective experience by using symbolism, exaggeration, and distortion. In painting, the elements of design were used to support a narrative.

"M" 1931 Fritz Lang

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" 1920

In cinematography, the techniques used included deep focus, extreme camera angles, dramatic lighting shone from raked angles, and chiaroscuro (which is a painterly technique developed during the Renaissance where use of deep variations of light and dark is used to enhance mood and create dramatic effect).

I consider the masters of film noir my teachers as well as my inspiration. By studying their cinematographic virtuosity, I have become a better narrative painter. Because the noir aesthetic is so specific, I am obliged to narrow my focus and deepen my decisions, which has honed my skills.

"Crossfire" 1947

©lesliepetersonsapp Lamplight 40x48

©lesliepetersonsapp Exit 28x18

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #2

©lesliepetersonsapp

©lesliepetersonsapp Fatale 30x36 Collage on panel

Anticipate was the bridge. This was based on a scene from The Killers, but it was so altered, there would be no way to identify it as coming from that movie.

©lesliepetersonsapp Anticipate 16x20 Collage on panel

Blue Room was the first absolute original. I dressed myself up in costumes and took pictures of myself. From those pictures, I stitched together a scene with multiple figures, creating my own movie, as it were.

©lesliepetersonsapp Blue Room 40x40 Collage on panel

©lesliepetersonsapp Miss Darger II 24x30 Acrylic on panel

A series on how film noir inspires my art- Entry #1

©lesliepetersonsapp Passion in the Suburbs

Since I started with this genre, I have engaged with authors, bloggers and social media groups devoted to the subject. I have found enthusiasts out there who seem to know every detail of every film noir; classic American noir, foreign noir, neo-noir- all the noir. This level of detail and focus eludes me. My mind just doesn’t work that way. I am an artist. Artists take input and use it as grist to generate unique output.

I seem compelled to tell a story with my art and create a narrative. For me, the act of telling a story is more important than the trappings of time, place and characters. It is the essence of film noir that I am after, rather than the specific details. During the jazz age, a composer would write a song, then singers and musicians would perform their own version of it. But the structure of the song remained the same. I seek to take the elements of film noir and create my own, unique rendition.

Peer 48x24 ©lesliepetersonsapp

Film Noir? Qu'est-ce que c'est?

The unique and sophisticated aesthetic was not fully appreciated at the time; crime movies ran under the radar and attracted no critical praise. But the superior film making techniques have made them gain popularity over the decades.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920

The techniques used include deep focus cinematography, extreme camera angles, dramatic lighting shone from raked angles, and chiaroscuro (which is a painterly technique developed during the Renaissance where use of deep variations of light and dark is used to enhance mood and create dramatic effect).

Check out The Film Noir Foundation, which restores films noir and shows them at their film festivals. It's founder, the Czar of Noir, Eddie Muller, is also a host on TCM's Noir Alley, which shows films noir every Saturday night and Sunday mornings.