The painting is getting closer after a week in the studio but the balance is not right yet between freedom and control. There is not enough range in the paint, not enough movement or precision. At this stage, the idea- finding the letters of T..H..E..T..O..W..E..R..O..F..B..A..B..E..L..in the streetmap of New York- is stronger than the execution. I found my 'R' at last! I do like the spaces towards the edges though, flanking Manhattan. Not sure about the palette either- for the first time in many years in places I have used a tube-black instead of my own mix and those areas seem a bit dead. I'll put a coloured glaze on top and also use a glaze to break down and soften the edge around Manhattan. There is also the problem of familiarity/similarity but I am sure this will go away when I work the on the the left side of the diptch -(the 'fiction' side, with the letters formed by Stillman's walks in the novel) The piece will read as an opened book, fiction and fact side by side.
It is a curious phenomena- the painting looks stronger online than in reality.
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