The Forest
Date: 2010
Price: $80
Medium: painting
About the artist
Bio...
The idea of using movie stills as subject matter is not a new one. From Cindy Sherman’s photos to Edward Hopper’s atmospheric work, work that was inspired by, and itself inspired American films.
The Cinema’s influence on art is as relevant as its influence on American culture. Studies have shown that the reason people find it easy to become emotionally involved in the cinema is that the unconscious mind has trouble distinguishing between a movie and a dream, but I think the success of a film is not the imitation of dreaming, but revealing dreams we wish we had. The same could be said of painting, from the dreamy strangers tha inhabit Jack Vettriano’s beaches to the nightmare figure in Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”, there is an unreal quality to great art.
For me, my love of cinema and my love of art have always been intensely connected. Paintings and movies offer a world so much more romantic and interesting than the dreary day to day routine of every day life. Movies have been just as influential on my painting as any study of art history. The collection of pieces featured this month will hopefully be able to work in that same dreamy way. There is no political content or deep symbolism, just atmosphere and any story you see played out to make them your own. Hopefully, you will enjoy them.
