Friday, March 18, 2011

A Good Painting Resembles a Poem - the paintings of Adam Young

A good painting resembles a poem. It has depth, it offers insight to life, it is loaded with metaphors and topped off with a richness of elevated expression.

Adam touched a nerve with many readers, when I introduced him to 'The Portrait', through his You Tube Video. (see below), and this work is no different.

Adam has the knack, as an impressionist to zoom in on life's basic elements.
Take this work above. The wharves leading to the fishermen's storage sheds, take the form of a cross. And, the cross of course is a long established symbol in western culture. On a theological level, it is a statement of eternal joy gained through suffering, surrender, and faith. Does this sound to you like a parallel metaphor for the struggle of life for Fogo fishermen? But there is more then that. The wharves are also metaphors for life at a crossroad and this opens the can for all kinds of questions? Is the hardship of the fishing life, worth it? Are we seeing the passing of an old life and the realization of new things to come?

Like many of Adam's works that I have seen online, this is simple, boldly impressionistic and dramatic. This is a life where everything tilts. For that matter, there may be strength in tilting - in going with the flow.

Adam has even painted this work on wood, and the texture of the wood is an integral part of his painting. Good move Adam!

Please feel free to visit Adam at his website by clicking here.

2 comments:

  1. This guy is just great! One of the best new artists I have seen in awhile, few more years and he'll be one of the most well known Newfoundland/Canadian artists around! Keep it up Adam!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Finally an artist that captures the true beauty of outport Newfoundland!

    ReplyDelete

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