Study for Skeletor’s Private Chapel

This painting is made up of three separate canvases that are hung together to form one image. In a sense it is a modular painting as it could be extended in either direction left or right by the addition of further canvases.

It is made using many thin layers of oil paint. The texture of the fine cotton canvas is apparent but the flat, smooth surface gives the impression that it is a printed surface rather than painted.

The title gives the impression that this is part of a larger project in progress and suggests a kind of loose architectural design rather than a painting with a painting’s typical identity. It contradicts the labour behind the work and humorously arouses questions regarding the religious practices of a notorious character.

Skeletor is the primary antagonist in the Masters of the Universe franchise and has become an iconic villain in Western pop culture, known for his distinctive voice and memorable catchphrases. He is often parodied and referenced in various media beyond the original series.

In this instance, the private chapel of Skeletor is proposed as an absurd but plausible gothic revival gymnasium, modelled on a typical monasterial cloister.