Architectural Fantasy

The building represented is fictional, and so is the context. We are given a clue to the location by the warmness and saturation of the scene and, above all, the blackness of the shadow. The intense light and the bare landscape insinuate the building is placed somewhere warm. That is contrasted in the bottom by the fresh appearance of the sea, suggesting movement. Indeed the only parts the wind could affect are the sea, the yellow sand, and the singular palm tree placed within the courtyard building. The building itself is static and fossilized. From a sculptural point of view, this architecture is silent. If the paint is stripped away, this would be the most austere of forms, completely mute, as a rock. Similar to a rock, it does not communicate anything outside of itself. However, this is a painted rock. The gesture of coloring the building is similar to children that gather stones only to bring them home and paint on them. By doing so, the children assimilate the rock into cultural practice. The question raised is, what culture resides in this built environment of colored strips, chequered patterns, and wavy tiles? Does the building represent a certain concealment of sadness, like the clown’s painted face in a circus, or do the colors and patterns invigorate the austere form with life and actuality? The painting is made with Rohrer & Klingner water-based ink /tusch, which is applied with a paintbrush. The details are made with the same ink together with a Rotring pen. The ink colors used are: Ochre, Sepia, Burnt Siena, Mauritziusblau, Bordeaux, Carmine, Indigo, Apricot, Black. The paper used is Clairefontaine Paint On Naturel 594 mm x 420 mm.