City GIRL. Painting on Paper & 70 Limited Edition Prints
At first glance, City Girl appears to be a simple portrait of a woman, but Doug has produced a striking composition of elegance and surreal design. The woman’s face is elongated by the projection of her chin and is further extended by her vivid red hair that almost mirrors the outline of her face.
Her bright green hat is reminiscent of a retro 1950s film era rocket ship, complete with stylised fins, cum support legs. This becomes the piece’s centrepiece, contrasting sharply with her red hair, anchoring the viewer’s eye and adding a touch of Pop-era futurism.
The nod to Chicago’s Willis Tower and the sleek blue limousine reinforces the impression of metropolitan affluence.
The curving check pattern of her coat contrasts the stylised skyscrapers and abstract Art Deco style elements leaning behind her. skyscrapers around him are built from geometric layers, some reduced to abstract blocks, their colours limited yet vibrant.
City Girl is part portrait, part architectural fantasy. Overhead, an aeroplane soars through a clear sky, perhaps a fitting metaphor for optimism, modernity and momentum and that everything in the garden is rosy and not just the woman’s cheeks.
*Artist Doug Kemp with ‘City Girl’ limited edition artist print
