Today is Go to an Art Museum Day.

Edit: I have given each image a title and a fake pretentious, artsy description. These were going to be part of the original post, but I didn't have the time.

Judas Payne (b. 1992)

Nightbird's Evening, 2020

Oil on canvas

As a painter of erotic subjects, Payne frequently visited nightclubs, taking inspiration from the women working there. During one particular visit, as the club was about to close, Payne took notice of one of the women working there. Sitting alone, she wore a look of solemn relief; a stark contrast to the more energetic, playful expressions she bore during the club's earlier hours. Inspired by this, Nightbird's Evening was created to showcase the inverse of the standard morning routine.

Judas Payne (b. 1992)

Umbral Urn, 2022

Oil on canvas

Combining the image of a woman in mourning with a flower vase, Payne strived to fuse the morose with the absurd. Umbral Urn was supposedly inspired when Payne happened to glance upon a woman presenting flowers at a memorial, and, seeing the pattern of the dress she was wearing, jokingly compared her to a flower vase. While creating this piece, Payne decided to present the woman in a funeral dress to further emphasize the macabre elements.

Judas Payne (b. 1992)

Left Red-handed, 2023

Oil on canvas

This piece features Isabella Arturo, an artist known for her fixation of splatter art and use of her own body for her art, as the subject. Left Red-handed was part of a collaborative project between Payne and Arturo and was designed to not only reflect Arturo's art style, but her playful sense of humor as well

Judas Payne (b. 1992)

Beckoning from Below, 2029

Oil on canvas

Beckoning From Below was inspired by a dream Payne had in his youth. In it, he briefly envisioned a mermaid reaching towards the surface, as if calling out to someone. Although seeing the mermaid from above in his dream, Payne portrays the mermaid from the side in the painting. Perhaps this choice represents the fact that, despite the point of view from within his dream, Payne has no idea who exactly the mermaid was beckoning to and stands just as clueless as the viewer.

Judas Payne (b. 1992)

Lazy Evening, 2032

Oil on canvas

The foundations for this painting were made when Payne began to sketch a friend of his while she was asleep. Little else is known about the painting, neither its subject nor the reason behind Payne's decision to render the sketch into a painting.

Judas Payne (b. 1992)

Pleasant Isolation, 2033

Oil on canvas

As an homage to his younger, more antisocial, stage of his life, Payne created Pleasant Isolation as a reflection of the inner peace and comfort he felt when left by himself. The dilapidated state of the room juxtaposed with the woman's smile serves to emphasize the notion that positivity can be found even within that which may be considered dreadful.

Judas Payne (b. 1992)

Looking Ahead, 20038

Oil on canvas

Looking Ahead is perhaps one of the more humorous and meta pieces by Payne. The title not only describes the woman in the painting but also calls out the viewer; as if to accuse them of being a voyeur.

Judas Payne (b. 1992)

Raunchy Romp, 2045

Oil on canvas

Created with the theme of "freedom" in mind, Payne displays this concept through both the figure and the environment, using the figure of a naked woman in an open space to represent freedom from the constraints and etiquette of modern society.