The body takes centrestage
The kind of anti-patriarchal worldview that Richie subscribes to does not deny the flesh. The sexual and sensual element is always at the forefront of his oeuvre. How could it not be, seeing as the artist is interested in mythologies in which the body takes centrestage, and where desire is the fuel for action.
There is not only gender equality in the way the artist looks at his subjects, but also in the way that Richie endows his figures with a strong sense of self. His women proudly display their breasts and hips, just as the men parade their perky butts and give us luscious stares.
To the artist, the body is not something to hide, and his characters are not worried of becoming prey to unwanted attention. Whether nude or covered up, the women wield weapons and wear fashionable shoes with a sense of unapologetic self-expression. In their attitude they are both femme fatales and powerful individuals fighting against oppression. Men openly surrender to the love and lust for one another, unchained to the need of having to prove themselves to society, or hide their most tender feelings.
