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Cord

Artist: McGlynn, Eve · b. 1998

Cord

The artist has written; "During my last week in Florence, a heat wave was starting and tourist season was coming into full force, so to escape the…

The artist has written;
"During my last week in Florence, a heat wave was starting and tourist season was coming into full force, so to escape the crowds and sweaty streets, I re-visited Fiesole. It was cooler up in the hills and had fewer tourists, giving me some time and space to reflect on my 3 months in the city.

Up in Fiesole, there is the Convento di San Domenico, a small 15th-century convent once home to Fra Angelico. There was no one else around, so I was able to stay and draw in their gardens for a few hours. On that day it reached 40 degrees, and seeking shelter from the heat really let me soak in the surroundings. After having scribbled all the small details from the garden into my sketchbook, I took a last photo of the scene and left.

This painting comes from that image, merged with parts pulled from my sketchbook; drawing and redrawing them until they were completely abstracted. There are shapes in the piece that allude to certain tangible elements like the flowers and the sloping rooftop. But what I wanted most was to evoke the warmth of the scene, to have the palette reflect the sun-drenched colours of the garden and feel the hazy afternoon heat radiate from the paint.

I’ve never done a painting based on a landscape like this, so it’s different for me, but very special and recalls a clear memory. It was the first painting I had completed upon returning from Florence, and I see it as the cord that links my older work to the work I am doing now. The painting has no deeper meaning, just a representation of a certain place at a certain time where I felt warmth and sweetness."

© The Artist