GOYA ON GARBAGE
Courtyard in front of AIR Vallauris
You are an artist-in-residence. Now, what?
Goya’s Dog on Cardboard, 4” x 2”, oil on cardboard, © Leslie Parke 2016
The last time I was a resident at A.I.R Vallauris in 2008, I left a box of materials. This time I decide not to take any materials with me and to just make use of what is in the box and whatever I find in the street. I have two notions about how to use my time. One, is to experiment, respond to the moment and not plan everything out. The other is to look at Goya's paintings and see if there is a way to distill their essence into something abstract. I didn't expect to do these two things together. When I open the box, I have plenty of paint, some brushes, and several pieces of 300 lb Fabriano watercolor paper. But what really excites me, is the box itself. It sat in a dry shed for eight years. The cardboard is soft and no longer has much structural strength. One side is white. I tear off one of the flaps and start painting.
Goya on Garbage: Maja on the Can, oil on soda can, 2.5” x 5”, © Leslie Parke 2016
Goya on Garbage: Dona Tadea Arias de Enriquez on Tuna Box, 6” x 4”, oil on cardboard, © Leslie Parke 2016
Goya on Garbage: The Countess of El Carpio on Cardboard,, 4” x 2”, oil on cardboard, © Leslie Parke 2016
Goya on Garbage: Arsensio Julia on Cardboard, 2” x 2”, oil on cardboard, © Leslie Parke 2016
Goya on Garbage: Goya’s Countess on Cardboard, 3” x 2”, ink on cardboard, © Leslie Parke 2016
Goya on Garbage: Portrait of the Countess of Chincon on Cardboard, 3” x 2”, oil on cardboard, © Leslie Parke 2016
Since Goya is already on my mind, I start by loosely painting one of his portraits with black ink. I switch to oil paint and the soft cardboard yields under my brush. The un-even torn edges make a beautiful deckle* around the piece. As I paint Goya's, "The Dog" I like how the creases in the cardboard interact with the image.All the pieces are small, averaging 4 inches by 2 inches. In the end, I branch out to include the back of a tuna box and a crushed can that I found in a parking lot.*deckle edge paper - a type of paper with rough edges.