A little architectural study to share today; ‘Liberty Diorama’. I have painted Liberty before but from a more central position. In the traditions of a grand department store it takes up a big chunk of city block on Great Marlborough Street. Pretty much impossible to capture the different facades of the building in one scene. A good excuse to work on this paper study of the Kingly Street entrance; with Liberty’s Curious Clock over the arch.
The Liberty Diorama was created with acrylic and ink on paper and raised from the surface to create a theatrical effect. The paper sits beautifully in these 25 x 25cm black box frames. I like how the depth of the box and the black backing can make the artwork float. Everything is focused on the line work and the simple layers emphasise the architectural mix so prominent in city spaces. Buildings join and contort in interesting ways… and the raised surfaces allow you to move a little to each side and reveal painting beneath.
Here’s a little details video which hopefully shows off those layers:
This is a style i’ve worked with quite a bit over the last couple of years (You can see my various cut paper experiments here: #paperdiorama). They seem to work best for city scenes and building studies but i’m always looking to try new ideas. I’ve just been commissioned to create a couple of new ones ready for Christmas; so watch out for a few more of these in the weeks ahead.