Lady Liberty (2020)
The Statue of Liberty, designed by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, was gifted to the United States by France and erected in 1886. She was a beacon of hope and the first sight for immigrants on their way to begin a new life. From 1892 to 1954, over twelve million immigrants entered the United States through the portal of Ellis Island, in New York Harbour.
Lady Liberty - 2020 - Oil on Linen
In both sadness and celebration, this larger than life monument is a source of inspiration for all who see her. Concentrating on the crown, head and draped shoulders, I chose to focus on her portrait to represent the face of the many cultures that make up New York. I wanted to free up my style a bit taking inspiration from the streets of NYC. New York is the birthplace of graffiti and one of my favourite things to do when I visit the city is to weave the grid of streets photographing the street art and murals. These walls are filled with such creativity and stories from different cultures that I wanted to reflect this inspiring and vibrant side of NYC.
The tones of this painting reflect her changing colours over the years, from the rusty reds to the bluish-green or verdigris that encrusts her figure today. I thought it would be fun to flip the colours of the figure with its water and sky surroundings, using the colours of this ‘copper goddess’ in the background and in turn, colouring the figure in monochromatic blues.
