K.B Cleary
The Tension With Strangers
Who are the people in these paintings? I do not know either. They are strangers to me. Yet their images have remained in old family photo albums since a party that took place in 1987. Their ubiquitous presence is often overlooked, yet it adds tension and intrigue to these personal archives due to their “otherness.” Their names have been lost over time. Most are now deceased, and the passage of time has rendered them anonymous.
These strangers are painted from a place of curiosity, introspection, and playfulness- to challenge this anonymity. The absurdities of their momentary interactions are visually translated, and within the process of realism, moments of unplanned abstraction emerge. The paintings become intimate explorations of people who remain at a distance.
Pastel on paper, 50 x 50cm
Oil on canvas, 100 x 140cm
Pastel on paper, 50 x 50cm
Pastel on paper, 80 x 50cm
Oil on canvas, 140 x 100cm
Oil on canvas, 100 x 140cm