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Grassroots Urbanism: SOLO SHOW Aug 2024
August 9 - August 27
Grassroots Urbanism
During my years in architecture, we considered such abstract concepts as “active energy,” “texture,” and “fabric.” We were trying to design spaces that went beyond walls and corridors; we wanted to make buildings that could breathe with life because they were part of the fiber of the inhabitants.
As a painter, these ideals linger in my mind every time I step up the easel. And not because I want to paint architecture—buildings are, honestly, design elements in my paintings. It’s because I’m trying to breathe that same human life force into my work by considering how people interact with the land and structures placed upon it. Experiencing cities now as an artist, I see them differently, with heightened sensitivity to observing beautiful notes of individualism and the way we collectively shape the environment.
A favorite memory I have of Paris is looking out the window of our apartment into this inner courtyard. It was so intimate and alive with the smells and sounds of breakfast being made, dishes getting washed, women standing at their balcony having a smoke talking about well, who knows what. It was all absolutely lovely…all of it.
In this show, “Grassroots Urbanism,” my concern was to capture the daily vibrancy of urban life—corner restaurants, mom-and-pop shops, and life stacked vertically both literally, say, in apartments, and figuratively as in how closely we live in big cities, at times, elbow to elbow.
At least half of these pieces venture into some level of abstraction, providing an exciting opportunity to experiment with and push the boundaries of my expression. Through this series, I aim to celebrate the richness of street-level experiences and the unique stories that contribute to the larger urban tapestry.