Description
“The Past”
collage, acrylic, spray paint, ink, oil on canvas, 30″ x 24″ x 3″
by Vanessa Compton & George Middleton, 2023
This is a collaborative work between myself and the artist George Middleton. George is a masterful painter whom I have collaborated with many times in the past.
George first painted the Southwestern vista in watercolor and then made an archival pigment inkjet print on canvas. I then came in and created the story of the work with collaged details on the stretched canvas.
George and I both love wide open vistas and were particularly inspired by the look of certain buttes in the American Southwest. The narrative suggests the transition from a previous history into the beginning of a new time with new possibilities. The hands are cradling peyote, a symbol of the transformative power of sacred lands.
I often incorporate the black and white photography of Diane Arbus in my work, finding her images to be powerful, moving and timely. I’m particularly drawn to how Arbus would document the celebrations of folks on the fringes of society- for instance a birthday party at an asylum. After all, everyone has the right the celebrate.
(Currently a large 9 ft. X 7 ft. reproduction of THE PAST is adorning the exterior of the Brattleboro Museum in southern Vermont, on view until April 2025!)
Art is revolution and collecting art is a powerful way to add beauty, meaning and inspiration to one’s life. It can happen at any budget level and payment over multiple installments is always an option, it’s how I collect art myself. Please ask if you’re curious, send me a message at [email protected] and we can figure out a plan that works for you to get the piece of your dreams.
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