2j

2j (Miss Tique) is a painting that captures the essence of the vulnerable self — as in all dolled up and felling a little alien in the urban jungle. This young woman has downcast eyes, which conveniently draws our attention to her inner world, her thoughts; her emotions.

Miss Tique has deliberately dyed her hair in harmony with the colours of this venue, where she is waiting for her friends.

The architecture in these urban settings has many reflective architectural surfaces. Architects do not pull off this stunt to satisfy your senses with the inherent beauty of those materials, i.e. the complex semi transparency; the refractions of light etc. It is all there, of course, but that is just a positive side effect we all enjoy in part. No, it subliminally mirrors those in power who initially paid for all this, and those who in turn are the ones seeking narcissistic supply from us the most. What motivates the construction of these axial ‘ego-seums’ is the permanence of the monuments that transcend generations.

It is funny how we sample various impressions in our brains for a visual vocabulary. For my part, I first noticed a glass staircase similar to this at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, UK. There I think it was used with another intention. I.e. simply to do a structure appended to the side of the building that would connect the floors without stealing too much attention from the listed historic building, and would not steal valuable exhibition space from the inside.

In the series Narcipolis, you can find more paintings like this one.

Title/Titel/Titel/Títolo #2j, Oil on canvas/ Öl auf Leinwand/olie på lærred/Óleo sobre tela 100x80cm.