Wednesday, October 8, 2008

"Private"


The middle portrait of this alley was always going to be a challenge. A little loading bay or nook off the main alley portrayed in the previous post. The vast tonal variations with some bright sky obliterating much of the wall and distant building-tops in the top of the picture, and dark shadowy hard to discern shapes down the bottom did not deserve too much thought . Some colourful artwork and tags in the dark recess behind the stair structure added another element to deal with. 
It was the most difficult painting I've ever done to photograph accurately. Settled on doing it in sunlight on full auto.
The colour looks reasonably close but I think  it appears harsh overall in the photo compared to the original. Yet here it's maybe a bit washed out...I give up. My website might give a better impression.

20 Comments:

Blogger Nick said...

Very satisfying shapes and composition in this, and the sick green (isn't it known as "Moore Green" now?) is used to maximum effect. Love that railing at the top. Urban decay at it's most visually appealing, and an appropriate response to the glitz and glamour of the storefront paintings depicting the other side of the block.

October 8, 2008 at 5:10 PM  
Blogger David Lobenberg said...

I like both of these urbane mundanescapes (just invented that word) a lot, but can you put your blog setting on large so we can see a larger image after we click on it? You do a great job juxtaposing wet-on-wet and dry-on-wet.

October 8, 2008 at 10:03 PM  
Blogger perugina said...

The subject of these new watercolours David are a stark contrast to your shop front series - Glitzy façade presented to the world with life reflected back vs no body, no one…not even a lifeless shop front dummy and like good theatre, the show up front cannot go on without the unsightly and sometimes unattractive scaffolding and rigging out back.
Will you be exhibiting these collectively? Will make for a stunning production.
These are award winning pieces.
PG

October 8, 2008 at 10:19 PM  
Blogger David Burge said...

Hey Nick, trust your Georgian boothfest went well?
I was thinking of AK when I saw this green. Just reminded me of a painting when I saw it. Also that fishtank composition you did sometime ago.
I think it'll date badly, we'll see.
Thanks for checking in.

October 10, 2008 at 5:02 AM  
Blogger David Burge said...

Thankyou David, I will upload it again, I mistakenly selected one of the thumbnails I used for my website.
I guess they are kind of mundane, but they are no less so than say an Andrew Wyeth scene of snow and a distant house. The only sign of life being some vehicle tracks and a whisp of chimney smoke. I like his abstract way of portraying life.

October 10, 2008 at 5:09 AM  
Blogger David Burge said...

Patricia you're comment makes a lot of sense to me. I actually had not thought of the juxtaposition in that way before.
As I said to re David's comment above, there's still lots of humanity and signs of contemporary life in subjects like these. I think you can paint almost anything and describe life.

October 10, 2008 at 5:13 AM  
Blogger joel said...

ooopsssy. forgot my account name.

i made my first trip to perth last week! cool city.

looks like i will be coming back quite often (if things work out). we should get together and do some painting or talk or something...

let me know an email address and i will send a mail with details.

oh - yeah -nice work on these starkish cityscapes. i love cityscapes and the ones i do sell. i should do more.

peace.

- Joel.

October 10, 2008 at 5:33 AM  
Blogger Sandy Maudlin said...

Really like these last two paintings. Intriging.

October 12, 2008 at 8:08 PM  
Blogger David Burge said...

Joel, will email you to arrange something for when you head west some time. Personally I dislike Perth in many ways. Too clean , too boring and over-regulated.
I've seriously considered moving to Melbourne many times.
If this little laneway was in Melbourne it'd be a veritable art gallery, not a dull green tunnel.
This is very typical of Perth..supposedly safe.

Thank's for dropping in again Sandy

October 14, 2008 at 3:02 AM  
Blogger wayne said...

This is a very strong piece especially compositionally IMO. I applaud your modesty David, yet I laud much more the success of this composition.
The stairs coming down on the top left (also with their downward-sloping linear perspective and the subtle L-R downward slope of the platform is set against (and balanced by) the upward dominant L-R diagnonal of the main steps. The striped light and shade is very jazzy and eye-catching, and the overall distribution of lights and darks is really masterful. A winner!! cheers ~W

October 17, 2008 at 4:14 AM  
Blogger William K. Moore said...

Hey David - love the composition on this and the bold contrast of values. And Nicholas named a color after me? What an honor and I hope to be found next to the tubes of Hooker's green in the local art store. Back to the composition-- I see a big 7 made by the stairs and that is an effective eye-grabber and attention vortex - it makes the painting's structure work so well. You have really captured the alley experience here David and that is a good thing as alleys connote so many wonderful and mysterious things.

October 18, 2008 at 9:47 AM  
Blogger David Burge said...

Sincere thanks Wayne and Bill, I happened to pass this place again a few days ago. It's quite strange to see it in it's *live* state after saturating ones self with the paitings. It's one of those subjects I'd pass by 99% of the time. 15 mins of fame for the alleyway.
Like the Bride shop, why the fuck would anyone bother painting such(as David Lobenberg said) mundane subjects?

Perth is full of them. You should see the view from my office window.

But I guess I saw those elements you describe and amost naively put them into the mincer.

The 3rd one I had in mind wont happen, tried x 2 but something's missing, all done with that alley I think.
Thanks again comrades !

October 18, 2008 at 4:41 PM  
Blogger Nick said...

Holy smokes, all my best friends in one blogpost. Welcome to Ground Zero!!!!!!!!!!!

October 18, 2008 at 5:28 PM  
Blogger David Burge said...

A bitchin posse, no doubt!

October 18, 2008 at 8:43 PM  
Blogger joel said...

posse?

geez - if we all went out to the pub - we would be viewed suspiciously and (probably) asked to leave.

i went to a cool pub in Perth called "Adelphi".

-- Joel.

November 6, 2008 at 4:00 AM  
Blogger TSL said...

Just found your blog. So refreshing, thanks for it. Excellent work.

November 8, 2008 at 10:30 AM  
Blogger David Burge said...

G'day Joel
Yeah Posse!
"The Adelphi Bar",Isn't that at the Parmelia/Hilton hotel?
Don't forget to let me know when you're in town next. I favour Fremantle for drinking(and Pizzas) though.

November 9, 2008 at 7:33 PM  
Blogger David Burge said...

Gratitude Tina! Saw your blog and thoroughly recommend it to all.

November 9, 2008 at 7:35 PM  
Blogger Nick said...

What's next? when is it?

November 13, 2008 at 1:42 PM  
Blogger David Burge said...

What's next?
Nick, it's the 17th and I only just discovered your question...lurking in a dark corner like a red eyed baboon.
I dunno what's next, I was hoping you had some idea!

November 17, 2008 at 5:38 AM  

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