Stills taken from ‘Pickup on South Street’ a little-known noir film from 1953. Actress Jean Peters was best known for being the second wife of Howard Hughes and her resistance to ‘being turned into a sex symbol’. She preferred to play ‘unglamorous’ parts which focused more on her ability as an actress rather than her looks.

The reference here is unimportant to me. Usually, I place great weight on the history/reality of the actress in the drawings, often their personal lives being reflected in their onscreen activities. However, there is nothing remarkable that drew me to Jean Peters - simply the visual of this scene. Taken out of context she is battling a sparkling liquid which is apparently being forced upon her. In the two larger works she is still - almost like a sacrificial offering. The 7 smaller works, with the marks of the process left around the edges, offer a more violent description of a situation just outside of our understanding as she thrashes against the glimmering ‘substance’, her jewellery creating electric flashes of motion. The mark-making around the edges offers a clue to the input of the artist.