I was stopped in my tracks early Sunday morning on Jackson Square by this splendid painting by a fellow artist, Conroy.
Perhaps the performance of Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild was still fresh in my head but never the less, the imagery in the painting was quite moving for me.
Painted from an evening photo taken around a streetcar line, the New Orleans girl defines her sassy, cool soul with a bold and brassy posture, bell bottomed pants and funky hair accessories. Though her face is shrouded by the back light there is no need for that form of expressions, the stance says it all. This is a pristine moment. But… night is falling on youthful exuberance, creeping in from the top of the piece in darker, bluer shades.
Don’t be fooled by all the fleur de lis and jazz men under lamposts that seem to stick out on Jackson Square, there is some very amazing and very affordable art out there every weekend.
We visit NOLA 3-5 times a year, and were down for a week at the end of May. I walked by Conroy’s spot on the square and loved his portrait of George Washington. Being a Lincoln fan, I asked why he didn’t have a portrait of him for sale, and that I would buy it if he did. He replied that he would gladly paint me one to pick up the next day. I made a deposit and right after lunch picked up an interesting, dynamic painting of ol’ Honest Abe that everyone who sees it comments on. I truly love it and it was an investment I’d make again in a heartbeat…and would on this lovely girl you’ve featured today!
As an art collector, I truly enjoy the fantastic work on the square. It is priced well, accessible to a wide audience in terms of subject matter, and engages the viewer. I know I can take my friends who are future art buyers to Jackson Square to learn about how artists price their work, how to shop for their tastes and outside them, and much more. I love Jackson Square and boo to the elitists who think it hasn’t/doesn’t produce some of the best NOLA artists of our generation!
i like your words
Thanks Joanna and Sue! Jackson Square is a true art market like a more DIY version of a shopping mall where some stores sell crap and others have just what you are looking for. Rejoice!