Submergée
2017
acrylic and mixed media on plywood
I remember that almost indescribable experience as I stepped in Piazza del Duomo and saw Siena’s cathedral for the first time. The obscene amount of white and pink details on the facade reminded me of icing on a cake, the central round window reflected the sky like a mirror and the black and white striped columns proudly supported the edifice. Looking up, down and around, my vision became dim. The beautiful marble floor made me feel cold whilst the golden painted sun on the roof warmed me up, I could smell this pure air that only exists inside this place as it was filling up my lungs. And while my mortal hands weren’t allowed to touch anything, I could still feel something palpable in its presence.
How can we visually condense and process the overwhelming feeling of seeing so many extraordinary things in such a short time?
Submergée (Overwhelmed) is a multi-panel work that has been puzzled together to visually summarise the highlights of my recent trip to France, Italy and Spain. This narrative piece enables me to represent and share this inability to capture the overwhelming feeling using my own experience.
The visual contrast of the artwork consolidates its narrative intent; the marble texture being reminiscent of the historical buildings seen over in Europe juxtaposed with the vibrant and more modern street style artwork displayed on top that is part of our suburban landscape.