Metropolitan Twilight

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Anderson, Kim

Keywords

New Orleans, Louisiana, Painting, Cities

Area of Concentration

Art

Abstract

N.O. is more than the city, it is a vibe, a current, a heartbeat. It is strong enough that I know that even after the physical city itself is gone, the rhythms and colors of the place will echo through the world in the footsteps of her people. In my personification of New Orleans in oil paintings I tried to invest with a sense of mystery, nostalgia, and warmth, I used the deep colors and bright fantastic feel I associate with the place to turn a quiet and dark landscape into a glowing dreamland of color. This series of paintings is inspired by the architecture, feel, and current disposition of the port city of Louisiana. In heavy and expressive lines like the outlining of stained glass, the repetitive linear forms that make up the structure of the city heighten the drama of the color and the sparkling lights inherent in my perception of the place. The fantastic commercial colors of New Orleans give the paintings vibrance and life, while the lights that stand in for the human life of the city glow with welcome. The city, since Katrina, has become more concentrated and intense in its hues and humors; the shadows are darker, the music sweeter, the colors more intense, etc. The fate that threatens to engulf the city both literally and figuratively as the coast crumbles into the gulf, which was exacerbated by the storm but not caused by it, has made me aware of the glowing and passionate life of the city. The people there live more intensely now, and I become a part of that every time I go home. My paintings are about my perception of what is unique, vibrant, and dramatic in my hometown.

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