The boys club of the sailing industry is a striking parallel to the boys club that was once prevalent in the fine arts (think Abstract Expressionists). The more manly, salty, and unconnected to others you are the better. I can't help but think that this gains some origin in the superstitions connected to women and the sea. In prior centuries, women were not allowed on vessels or considered bad luck. Funny enough, naked women on board were completely welcome. That's because naked women "calmed the sea". This is why ships' typically had a figure of a topless woman perched on the bow of the ship. Her bare breasts "shamed the stormy seas into calm" and her open eyes guided the seamen to safety.
Today it is still somewhat a taboo to see a woman onboard a racing yacht and when they are involved its usually doing the typical female positions. Making sure theres enough sandwiches, everyone stays hydrated, and manning the running back stays. (A running backstay is a removable stay that provides aft support to the mast from either the masthead or the point at which an inner forestay is attached). The position is often awarded to those who do not have as much experience as others onboard, but its hard to gain a lot of bow, trimming, or navigating experience when one is down below seeing how many gatorades you can jam in your pockets to bring up on deck.
This painting depicts me trimming the spinnaker (a large down wind sail). The position is glamorous, the trimmer is standing while the rest of the crew is down on the deck with the authority to alert the grinder on your winch (a position I usually hold) when to grind depending on adjustments made at the helm and wind angles. I decided to play down the value structure of the rigging, clothes, and environment to make the muscle structure of my figure more prevalent, putting an emphasis on strength. Also placing a male figure on the bow of the boat to play as the superstitious figurehead and again eliminating the details of the deck, water, and overall environment to create a sense of an open plane. To have an empty background is not devoid of meaning, the open space alllows more freedom of movement and suggests the potential activity of the figure.
In this self portrait I am in no ways aiming to glorify myself, but instead I wish to use this composition as an opportunity to make these connections.
The title, "Nobody Puts Baby on the Runners" is me comically yet critically commenting on the industry. The 1992, cult sailing classic movie Wind is a dramatized story of the 1983 America's Cup race. Interestingly enough, Jennifer Grey (Baby in Dirty Dancing) plays a made up fictions female character involved in the race who does the runners and ends up designing sails that her male counterpart continuously takes credit for.
