A Spade is a Spade

William Copley is recognized for his Surrealist and erotically charged figurative paintings. In A Spade is a Spade, an energetic and colorful work from 1985, he assembles and juxtaposes a series of seemingly unconnected images into one vibrant painting. Here, Copley renders a several pale, curvaceous nude women frolicking through a perplexing, collage-like environment. Their graceful movements, characterized by long undulating limbs, suspended bodies, and stylized hair, are akin to that of the figures in Matisse’s Dance (1). A man wearing a suit and bowler hat is a reoccurring motif throughout the artist’s paintings and one found in the present lot. This theme can also be found in works by Magritte, a Surrealist artist from which Copley draws some inspiration. In one portion of this composition, these well-dressed men dance closely with the anonymous women. In another, his multiples amorously embrace the women, now naked, inside a windowed brick façade. The figures are vigorously engaged in activities of recreation such as playing a match of tennis, dining, or producing music from a piano. Although silent, this work is imbued with sound and animation, resulting in an invigorating and enigmatic composition imbued with witty narrative and carnal energy.