CITY: An Urban Exploration

In her latest body of work, CITY, artist Sarah Jones explores the new and old architecture that comprises our urban landscapes. Drawing inspiration from her travels, CITY features paintings of Halifax NS, Portland ME and Boston MA.

Architecture and urban life has long been a popular topic in the history of painting, becoming a fashionable subject with the Dutch Master's in the 16th and 17th century of Western Art.

View of the Meir in Antwerp, Erasmus de Bie, 17th Century

As our urban centres are in constant states of change and growth, Sarah has been able to capture moments in time through her work by preserving aging brick buildings and back alleys and bringing them new life on canvas. Sarah's contemporary take on architectural painting pulls in elements of the 21st century, like the power lines that dance across her canvases or the street lights that loom in back alleys, placing her work firmly in the present.

Winter's Day, Hydrostone, 36"x48", Oil on Canvas

Her use of line and negative space is visually pleasing, leading the eye around the work to discover new and magical moments in each painting. The viewpoints in CITY are non traditional, rather than fully articulating familiar views Sarah's work challenges the viewer through her use of enigmatic perspectives.

Granville No. !, 16" x 20", Oil on Canvas

CITY is a show you want to see in person, as Sarah's scale and texture cannot be read through a computer screen. Her palette glows with bright cadmium reds, strong darks and soft greys, but also features muted greens, blues and yellows that can only truly be appreciated in person.

CITY runs until April 23rd at Argyle Fine Art. You can find the show online here. 

What I Found in the Parking Lot Off Barrington No. 2, 36"x24", Oil on Canvas