I’m really excited to share with you one of my latest paintings New York Hexaptych, created in response to my recent New York trips which you can read all about in my London/New York journal post.
Especially when visiting Manhattan I’m always stunned by the way the reflections in the glass & metal in the skyscrapers surrounding you continually reflect the changing light & conditions, to recast the view before you.
After several highly enjoyable and inspiring visits to New York this year, I was determined to channel all my inspirations into a statement New York City skyline painting. I chose to create a six piece panorama of the Manhattan skyline at night. This can then be viewed as a closely aligned set, or more widely spaced to accentuate the modular nature of the composition. Either way, the creation of the panorama through the use of a hexaptych accentuates the contemporary feel of the piece. I have always been fascinated by the sheer vastness of New York City, and so stretching the city skyline over six panels allows me to visualise this scale on another level, engulfing the viewer in the urban structures of the city.
I elected for a night scene as I knew it would give me a chance to explore the movement of light around the city, with quick drips of paint weaving between structures. I worked for many, many enjoyable hours adding multiple levels of detail at varying perspectives to the scene. I aimed to capture the dizzying feel of night timelapse photography, with its dazzling trails of light, emanating from cars flowing up the main streets and across the intersections.
Especially when visiting Manhattan I’m always stunned by the way the reflections in the glass & metal in the skyscrapers surrounding you continually reflect the changing light & conditions, to recast the view before you. By revealing the bare metal surfaces in the aluminium, I was able to offer a similar experience with this painting of the iconic Manhattan Skyline as it helped to create a great sense of realism in the scene, as the piece absorbs & emanates your own surroundings.
I hope you enjoy the view, which contains many of my favourite buildings in New York!
You can view New York Hexaptych in more detail and my other New York paintings in the New York Collection on my website. You will find my other available artworks in the main Gallery.
Paul Kenton:
May 31, 2019