Afternoons in Utopia
Afternoons in Utopia (2018)
18×24 Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Sold
As a kid, he’d escape the family pressure and bullying at school by diving into books. He’d set off on adventures and tales of brave new worlds where he could be whatever he wanted to be. While no longer the picked-on geeky kid, today’s world still beleaguers him at times, so he grabs a book and escapes into Afternoons in Utopia.
Shedding one's clothes and indulging in a good book are two great ways to illustrate escaping life and society's expectations. When thinking of a title, a favorite album and song by Alphaville came to mind. It sums up the idea of escaping to a better world, if just for a few hours. I’m guessing, and would hope—because that would bring it full circle back to the painting—that Alphaville were inspired by the 1932 book of the same title by Stephen Leacock.
Working in pastel, I utilized a top-down, aerial perspective to capture this vulnerable and serene moment of total relaxation. I focused heavily on the realistic textures of the rumpled white sheets, the discarded pile of jeans and boots on the hardwood floor, and the detailed definition of his muscular back and legs as he loses himself in the pages.
