Nude Descending A Staircse, No. 2 - Marcel Duchamp (1912)

A painting well ahead of its time. This modernist classic contains elements of both cubism and futurism.

For me, the thing which strikes me the most is the way Duchamp has captured the movement of the human form. By including a nude figure the viewer can focuses more on the actual human itself, rather than unnecessary details.

The blurring effect which the artist has achieved is perfect in conveying movement. This is added to by the cubist element. If we look at someone moving down a staircase the movement is never completely fluid, it is jerky.

The brown tones in the background of the picture combines with the nude aspect of the painting nicely to add to the natural feel of the painting.

But why the staircase? Maybe to create a contrast between simple man made objects and the natural feel that is created elsewhere. The cubism in this piece also delivers an unnatural feel.

Or maybe he just saw his wife in the nip and thought it'd make a good painting.

Make up your own mind on it anyway.

The Tree - Herbert Gentry (1992)

A recent painting by Gentry, The Tree is a deep and provocative piece. The lush reds blend the figure into the background, much the same way as a tree blends into a forest.

This piece, like many other of Gentry's, has that entwined, twisted feel to it, similar to Celtic artwork. For this reason it represents, for me, family. The 'tree' in this instance is the family tree.Red is the colour of love, passion, blood and anger. Doesn't family often arouse these emotions?

If we look at the top figure we see a feminine face. This could be the mother, the strong head of the family, or it could have wider connotations, it could represent mother nature. Looking back at the idea of Celtic artwork, in ancient Celtic times women were highly regarded and respected. They could easily become chief of a clan.

Never forget that the top of a tree is what blossoms, so this painting could be looked at from the opposite perspective too. Maybe the head character is what we aspire to.

But what of the whispering, almost invisible character to the right of the head figure? A mischievous demon, poisoning our ideals, philosophies and aspirations, perhaps?

As always, make up your own mind on it.

Stenographic Figure - Jackson Pollock 1942

Two figures face off against each other, the shorthand characters exploding across the canvas.

I find this painting is particularly appealing in this modern age where internet slang and little smiling faces have taken over from traditional forms of written expression. Maybe the two figures are having an argument over a misunderstanding.

Also interesting is the flow of the painting, waves of red and yellow rushing along. These waves contrast with the sharp shorthand characters in the painting.

The colours are vibrant, in stark contrast to Pollock's 1950s work, which makes this piece hugely appealing to me.