e-mail: kelanmon@gmail.com
mobile: 718.930.5320
I use interior spaces, urban landscapes and the night sky as a journey and stage for the drama of light, air and movement. I attempt to see past the structured architecture into the otherworldly qualities of the city. I am intrigued by the way light plays on architecture, energizing and describing form. There is a mystery in the dynamics of light and atmosphere in contrast to the city structures.
There is emptiness and void in the spaces I paint, yet they have a quality of human presence through the mystery, atmosphere and illumination. In the recent years, I have also been obsessed with the rooftops of Brooklyn and Manhattan, where the architecture is piled upon each other. Currently the repeating forms of the satellite dishes and antennae’s that dominate many apartment rooftops are central to the visual rhythm in my paintings. In particular I have been inspired by the spaces of Red Hook, D.U.M.B.O., Williamsburg and Greenpoint. I have exaggerated and edited qualities from city life into dramatic compositions. The sky and the spaces between buildings are as significant as the buildings themselves. I am fascinated by the city’s night sky, which reflects the ever-present human interjection of light pollution.
My aim is to maintain an element of spontaneity and directness in the paint. A fluid and spontaneous quality in the every paint stroke is very important to me. The process allows for quirky and unexpected qualities to occur. I want the paintings to be as intriguing up close as they are from a distance.
The nuances of industrial light, atmosphere and architecture generate a constant awe, nostalgia and surprise. At times the awe is when you are hoping to see it and other moments it is a surprise in unexpected places. The painting process is not just an analytical process for me, but is a revelation in every visual moment.
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