©Kristen O’Neill, “At the Edge” Acrylic on Canvas, 40″ x 40″ $2750
After a summer of painting the Oregon Coast Trail through the eyes of one hiker I branched out and found the photo that inspired this painting on Instagram. (See Jamie Marie’s @girlinwaterphotography feed here.) I love the power of the crashing waves, how up close and connected her photos are with the ocean. This spot is in Yachats, Oregon. With her images I can explore the drama of the ocean.
I immensely enjoyed making a large painting from a 2 inch by 2 inch Instagram photo. Jamie’s photography has the intensity to make that possible, to hold up through such a drastic enlargement. Taking an image from social media and turning it into a painting allows me to really explore.
I create large, aggressive paintings. Instagram is quick, impermanent, trendy, and cheap. Painting from such a source explores the assumptions that we make of value, size, importance, and permanence.
Placing the viewer in an unconventional position, I force the liberation from centuries of idyllic landscapes. The painting holds the viewer in close proximity to a moment and location, to generate a connection that would otherwise not be forged. The viewer is then able to experience the personality of the place, moving past the triteness of a landmark.