Mixed media Acrylic 80cm square, collage, papers, oil pastel
SOLD
Recycled newspapers and magazine paper, own collection of collage papers are covered by Titanium White then sanded back. The effect is an old wall covered with layers of peeling paint; remnants of poster advertising and old graffiti. Artists own graffiti marks are added in charcoal; oil pastel and pencil. A grid composition of squares was added to the top section to create a high rise city.
Cadmium red and ultramarine blue give various purples tones and create a “shabby chic” look; landscaped gardens are architectural shades of greys, greens and mineral blues. This space provides a calm transitional area, as well as dividing the “haves from the have nots” who dwell on the other side of the graffiti covered walls. The overall effect suggests a city of fading grandeur.
Artist’s Statement
I didn’t set out to make a portrait of New York City per se and I used no reference photos, rather the piece evolved via process and experimentation. Afterwards it reminded me of the stillness of some of the images in the 1960s film The Apartment by Alfred Hitchcock. The hero is trapped in his apartment with a broken leg and the only entertainment is spying on fellow city dwellers across the laneway. This mirrors the trapped feeling many millions of people across the world felt throughout the last few years in Covid Lockdown.
first layers underpaintings and finished painting
