Painting_locations Lewis_Bryden

1 painting locations

1.1 havana (2002)
1.2 colorado
1.3 glacier bay basin in alaska
1.4 coney island
1.5 mexico , american southwest

painting locations
havana (2002)

in 2002, treasury department sanctioned bryden’s visit cuba on artistic mission. spent 5 days there , completed series of plein air paintings.

i had permission treasury department go cuba on kind of cultural exchange, , intended use time many plein air paintings could, though had 5 days. impressions quick , sketchy; hard how might have changed more time spent there. although not know lot cuba, has formed part of imagination. youth spent in florida filled stories told people had visited tourists before revolution , refugees after revolution remembered lost homeland. had vivid image of island in mind. short visit there both confirmed, , contradicted vision. now, in mind there 2 cubas—the cuba imagined or remembered stories, versus cuba seen , experienced. tension between two, finally, forms theme series of paintings.

colorado

bryden has taken several painting trips colorado , neighboring states of new mexico , arizona. enjoys spectacular scenery in mountains , dramatic seasons.

glacier bay basin in alaska

for artist pursues light, alaska natural setting . bryden has gone glacier bay, alaska capture unusual lighting conditions there. in alaskan summer painting done in natural light morning middle of night.

coney island

bryden has painted series calls ‘’boardwalk idyll’’ spans on 30 years of work. series, explores eternal summer of adolescence, exhibited @ brooklyn public library in 2004 , later @ r. michelson galleries in northampton, massachusetts. in talk series states “other artists before me have used coney island, each in own way. started studying work of reginald marsh, david levine, , photographer bruce davidson. own particular inspiration fascination people in public places acting out private dramas.”

one collector of bryden’s work, michael mao, has 4 of series’ near life-size paintings displayed in 1 small room, creating illusion of having walked cocktail party people have gathered. “the figures friendly, not intimidating, welcome addition our home,” said mao. “when lewis borrows them exhibition if of family has gone missing.”

bryden’s method these pieces inspired “crust of paint” on impressionist claude monet’s work “water lilies.” bryden developed own textured sculptural-style technique create surface texture boardwalk paintings. “mimic atmospheric conditions of hot summer day,” bryden mixes neo megilp 50% stand oil coat canvas. adds pigment , varnish, “as canvas take.”

each painting portrays moment of interaction or isolation on boardwalk. bryden describes them, “they’re [moments] of tranquility, waiting happen.” tell story. “each of 1 these stand-alone story, though have no idea story is.” captures people’s interactions, “i wanted them react each other. goes after tension built when “recognize other person exists.”

with bustle of boardwalk, bryden relies on sketches , photographs sessions live models pieces. few paintings inspired box of kodachrome slides found of couple. slides captured scenes similar ones had been painting. there no way identify owners return slides, used images inspiration several pieces.

mexico , american southwest

bryden began visiting mexico annually in 1993. during visits, informal portraits , sketches in public squares capturing plein air impressions of moment. in 1994, put work series, “tierra insolita” formally presented in exhibition @ ‘’galleria ixcateopan’’ in acapulco in same year.

acapulco home base during these visits, takes trips friends remote, mountainous areas of guerrero. during 1 of these trips, decided series on average, everyday person living in mexico.

writer stephen lockwood describes these paintings: “every picture in series direct, there little eye focus on, other facial characteristic of subject. directional gaze of each sitter varied: directly @ viewer, others off left or right. different position of each head has effect of changing how engaged or disengaged each portrait observer.”