In The City
March 18-April 5, 2014
About three and a half years ago, I was gazing out a ground floor window on Columbus Avenue, when across the street I saw a very striking image. It appeared in front of me as a horizontal composition in black and white that was direct, concise and looked like a complete and finished painting. In reality, it was a brick wall shaped like most horizontal brick walls with three or four bare skinny trees planted and standing directly in front of it. The trees had no leaves, because of winter. But what I was seeing was a beautiful image that I had to draw immediately. That was the beginning of the idea for my most recent series of artwork. I continued drawing these cityscapes or environmental inspirations in many different locations throughout the city. I didn’t want them to be known or famous tourist attractions or spots. I preferred the less obvious, or even the backs of the buildings.
The focus was more about the juxtaposition and combination of geometric or architectural buildings, combined with the organic and natural lines and shapes of the trees or nature. My interest was the visual connection between the flatness of the background, which was the wall, abutted against the graphic lines of the trees. It had what I call “flat depth”, which created an immediate illusion of a deeper space that continues to motivate me. I was thinking about the elements of what makes up art, rather than the environmental effects of trees in the city (although I also care about that). I was looking at the visual changes between the hard edged lines and shapes, contrasting with the organic or natural forms.
The height and angles from where I worked became important, and whether I worked inside or outside depended on the weather. I realized that the environment that I was in and surrounded by had always played a big part in influencing the choice of my images.
Color is a major focus, along with line and shape, in my work. My images are mostly based on composition and the slowness or immediacy of the moment. I’m also very conscious of the visual differences between inside and outside environments, and how they influence my and the viewer’s moods. My location also affects the rhythm and pace of the individual piece of art that you see.
This series consists largely of drawings, which are the main starting point for my understanding and appreciation of a subject, and which later can be translated and transformed into more abstract images, using other mediums to create paintings and prints. However, I also see drawings as final and finished art. In my work I like to show the differences between reality and imagination, and the contrasts between art and the real world.
In my interpretation of the City, the buildings were often seen representationally, but using an abstract space, and sometimes I visualized them as patterns or grids. Their beauty seemed to rely on the compilation of lines, shapes and colors of the buildings, and they seemed to vibrate and move throughout the picture plane, with an overall movement and pulse. The buildings’ exteriors had a human energy projecting through the open windows, which gave each window an individual feeling, and the whole building a unique personality. Every day is a new one, and the visual interpretations could be many, depending on the environment, which is always in flux. The strong contrasts and nuances of New York help maintain the intrigue and interest of looking at and being in the City.
The focus was more about the juxtaposition and combination of geometric or architectural buildings, combined with the organic and natural lines and shapes of the trees or nature. My interest was the visual connection between the flatness of the background, which was the wall, abutted against the graphic lines of the trees. It had what I call “flat depth”, which created an immediate illusion of a deeper space that continues to motivate me. I was thinking about the elements of what makes up art, rather than the environmental effects of trees in the city (although I also care about that). I was looking at the visual changes between the hard edged lines and shapes, contrasting with the organic or natural forms.
The height and angles from where I worked became important, and whether I worked inside or outside depended on the weather. I realized that the environment that I was in and surrounded by had always played a big part in influencing the choice of my images.
Color is a major focus, along with line and shape, in my work. My images are mostly based on composition and the slowness or immediacy of the moment. I’m also very conscious of the visual differences between inside and outside environments, and how they influence my and the viewer’s moods. My location also affects the rhythm and pace of the individual piece of art that you see.
This series consists largely of drawings, which are the main starting point for my understanding and appreciation of a subject, and which later can be translated and transformed into more abstract images, using other mediums to create paintings and prints. However, I also see drawings as final and finished art. In my work I like to show the differences between reality and imagination, and the contrasts between art and the real world.
In my interpretation of the City, the buildings were often seen representationally, but using an abstract space, and sometimes I visualized them as patterns or grids. Their beauty seemed to rely on the compilation of lines, shapes and colors of the buildings, and they seemed to vibrate and move throughout the picture plane, with an overall movement and pulse. The buildings’ exteriors had a human energy projecting through the open windows, which gave each window an individual feeling, and the whole building a unique personality. Every day is a new one, and the visual interpretations could be many, depending on the environment, which is always in flux. The strong contrasts and nuances of New York help maintain the intrigue and interest of looking at and being in the City.
