When I was in school, adventures beckoned. I travelled more than I do now, even though I had a modest budget. We’d bundle into the car for a road trip, and the most important decision we made was about the music we’d listen to. Back then I didn’t need vacations – I work much harder now compared to then – but new experiences were crucial. As I’ve gotten older, these types of experiences have become more elusive. This post is about Spring Break, a nostalgic painting about the feeling of freedom and adventure.
The Inspiration Behind the Art
When I conceived of this painting I had two main ideas. One idea was that the action of the painting needed lots of space, since space to my mind has a correlation with freedom. The other idea is that the action of the painting needed to convey an attitude of adventure. I achieved both of these goals by choosing as my subject a photo of me and a friend hoisting another friend on our shoulders. In the photographic reference material we are beside a coconut tree and the objective was to pluck and drink from a coconut. In the painting, I separate the youths from the tree with a fence or wall. This creates the spectre of occlusion (i.e. what is on the other side of that wall, aside from the palm tree?) and transgression (i.e. will he make it over the wall?).
Timothy deVries, “Spring Break,” 2017. House-paint and Acrylic on Canvas, 50″ x 56″ inches (Artwork © Timothy deVries; photograph by Timothy deVries)
How I Brought It to Life
I made this painting at a time when I was very interested in the construction of space through the placement of walls and corners. The four main blocks of colour – navy, tan, terracotta and baby blue – are distributed with proportions relative to their visual weight. The intersection of the navy wall by the terracotta wall establishes the dimensionality of the painting, since the navy wall continues into the background. This occluded space is also where I placed the coconut tree. For the figures, I represented them shirtless, to reflect the tropical context. Having been impressed by the vibrant colours in the paintings of Andy Dixon, and the simplified forms of Ted Harrison, I experimented with the ‘non-rational’ colour of sage green for skin tones on the youths. I liked how it gestured beyond realism and decided to keep this colouring. Following the creation and exhibition of this painting I received feedback suggesting that the figures could have been bigger relative to the rest of the canvas. I acknowledge and respect this feedback, but the size of the figures relative to the canvas actually achieves an important framing effect. Indeed, the ‘big picture’ context suggests that the observer has taken a step back, and is watching the youths with a degree of disinterested contemplation.
What the Piece Represents
Life in middle age is just more intentional. Youth are curious, spontaneous, and free. This is evident in some of the things that I did with my friends when I was younger. We weren’t as particular about where we slept or whether we had a reservation. Our plans were open-ended, frequently resulting in some hijinks or other. This freedom felt a lot like yearning, as if the adventure stood in for future things we actually wanted to do. And perhaps it was a way of filling time with semi-purposive activity. But what if it was more? What if it was about exhausting the possibilities of experience, about exploring the limits of freedom? Experience is the best teacher, and responsibilities that I’ve taken on over the years somehow represent a ‘no’ to the freedoms I explored in my youth. But that doesn’t take away from the brilliance of these adventures. I meant to create a painting of figures that stirred admiration, and possibly an amused rebuke.
Collector’s Tips
This piece is being offered for purchase at $1,485 and can be viewed by appointment in my home studio near Hamilton, Ontario. It measures 50’ x 56’ inches and comes unframed; a professionally made oak floating frame in one of various finishes can be purchased and installed at an extra cost. The painting was made in 2017 with house-paint and acrylic paint on cotton canvas. With its themes of action, intrigue, youth and adventure, this painting would look great in your rec-room, great room or living room.
These Youth Were Living Then
Spring Break is a painting that hints at youthful yearning. But the wall suggests those dreamed-of things might elude their grasp. By middle age, that hunger has mostly been sated. Does nostalgia for the ingenuity and curiosity of youth warrant a second hard look at middle-age complacency? Perhaps the ideal viewer of this painting is willing to let those young men have their fun. As a contemporary artist in Hamilton, Ontario, I’m delighted that Spring Break evokes all that and more. If this piece resonates with you, I invite you to share your thoughts with me via email or on Instagram.
Interested in adding this piece to your collection? Contact me.