Reindeer Voluptuary

Reynolds precise renderings of muscle and flayed meat are grotesque, but the delicacy and detailed structure urge a close — often forensic — inspection. ‘Reindeer Voluptuary’ presents an artefact of her time in Sweden from 1999-2002, having been invited to spectate and document the slaughter of reindeer by the indigenous Sami — the only people allowed to herd and breed the animal within the country — and invoke the tragedy and beauty of the process. The use of oil and a particularly soft palette of pinks, reds and whites gives the gore an unsettling but purveying sensuality. Reynolds is influenced by ‘divine’ sacrifices common in Baroque or Dutch masters, often conjured through the use of flesh or animal in still life.