Old Town Road

Yi Jia Yap

Year 11

School: Willetton Senior High School

Medium: Oil paint on canvas

Artist statement: Surrounded by urbanised structures, the appearance of these buildings lapsed into monotony. The same dull concrete, the same dark tones. But as I saw the old-style architecture, it reminded me of the fantasy novels I read as a child – as if it was something out of a story. A sense of nostalgia inspired me to paint these buildings in a way that reflected these emotions. Old Town Road is a recreation of buildings in Northbridge. Old buildings sit amongst modern ones in an urban landscape. The main frame of the piece is painted realistically, with stylistic elements such as the treatment of the sky chosen to enhance the effect. Grace Cossington Smith’s techniques influenced my work in the form of the short, thin strokes used to paint the sky. Old Town Road glorifies traditional European buildings in its intricacy and aesthetic, juxtaposing the form against the utilitarian premise of modern architecture. The geometrical shapes that may seem to be graffiti, reflect the way I perceive modern buildings – as flat and bland.