Brought to you by ArtDeadline.Com

Botany Pond...

“Botany Pond, UChicago” is from my series of cityscape paintings that feature the Main Quadrangle at the University of Chicago campus. Botany Pond at the University of Chicago was originally built as an outdoor research lab by John Coulter, who was the first chair of the botany department at the university. The traditional grey, stone Gothic buildings in the background contrast with the red, blue and green colors used to portray today’s students in the foreground. The painting won first prize at the South Side Impressions exhibit, Beverly Art Center in Chicago, 2011.
W 24 X H 30 inches

2 members like this

View Full Size

Tags:
Portfolios: Abstract Realism, June 2014 Curator Reviewed Art

Comment

You need to be a member of Artists2artists Social Network to add comments!

Join Artists2artists Social Network

Comment by Resident Curator on June 28, 2014 at 5:56pm: Curator’s Comments:

Botany Pond UChicago is an interesting piece, aside from its historical accuracy and sense of place. As you noted, from a purely formal standpoint the contrast between the higher chroma red and green hues in the foreground nicely advance when placed in front of the more subdued architecture. I enjoy the subtle pinkish and violet tones in the buildings, offering a sensation of warmth that normally evades grey stone. There’s also an interesting flattening of space in the foreground, as the small footbridge and pond tilts ever so slightly up and away from the horizon line. The reflections in the water create lavender-grey pools of the surrounding structures. The painting manages an uplifting and timeless quality, freezing a well known space so that it is appreciated by viewers that don’t have a preexisting attachment or connection.