Chapiteau
Artist
Michelle Spark
(American)
Date1989
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions42 × 64 in. (106.7 × 162.6 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Object numberUAC2853
DescriptionThree and a half by five and a half feet, Chapiteau is a large scale bar scene in Spark’s vibrant style. The vibrancy of the work and the looser brush strokes speaks to the creative philosophy that Sparks promotes, and her interest in the urban spaces of New York. Chapiteau shows a classic night club scene that seems timeless in her large and visible brushstrokes that give a modern impressionist take on the atmosphere. The scale of the painting allows for nearly every figure to have a visible face and expression in a very animating way.Impressionism, as an art movement, is typified by the visible and dotted brushstrokes that aim to capture the effects of light and urban living, which is very clearly at play in Chapiteau. Combining the interest in lighting and life with vibrant colors and scale give this piece the contemporary, Michelle Spark, experience.
Michelle Spark is a painter and art therapist, having received her MA in Art Therapy and spending her time making art in New York. Her painting methods, which she describes as being founded in her practice of art therapy are also influenced by her buddhist practice. She continues painting and working in upstate New York, focusing on natural subjects in the environment around her.
Written by Alex Heath
