Urban Landscapes: Art by Paul Sershon
Florida-based artist Paul Sershon got his start with artwork that explored the urban landscapes of California. In his current practice, the artist uses watercolours and oil paints to explore a range of subjects, from still life to automobiles to natural scenery.
Merritt Island, oil on hardboard
Paul’s gallery of still life paintings is particularly interesting. The works are a departure from the usual subjects that one would associate with still-life painting, instead focusing on larger structures such as carnival rides and concession stands. The images are classically Californian, expressing a summery, coastal aesthetic that’s splashed with bright colours and blocks of text. These subjects remind me of the shop fronts of Tony Ziegler.
The artist has a particular way of painting that lends authentic texture to even plain white sections of a painting – in one of his still life works, for example, this might mean that a white sign board looks weathered with subtle grey smudges. In other works, such as his natural landscapes, the green expanses of grass or trees become movement-filled seas of changing green tones.
