Clare Grossman, 'New York Suite'

About

Inspired by the architecture and energy of New York, painter-printmaker Clare Grossman has created a beautifully captivating collection of work celebrating the iconic city.

‘New York Suite’ is a visual skit on the notion of a musical suite: a series of compositions, played in succession. All are inspired by New York, but each has its own emphasis – on a moment; a time of day; the shifting light, mood and palette of an ever-changing city. 

The exhibition is made up of oil paintings and monotype etchings – prints derived from the same drypoint etching plate, but layered with a range of monoprinting techniques. This means that each print is effectively unique.

“New York as a city inspires me,” says Clare. “It’s a fast city, much faster than London. People walk fast, talk fast, serve you even faster. Traffic whizzes by, with blurred yellow taxi cabs everywhere. There’s steam on the streets, traffic lights appear suspended in the air, the energy on street level is frenetic.

“But when you look up, the buildings dwarf you, they reach for the skies, their glass windows reflect back the clouds and the sky above. They optically melt into one another. Everything seems calm and serene.

“It’s this contrast that took hold of me. Lines and angles beautifully juxtaposing. Ice blues, silvers and greys. Look up and all is serene, elegant and cool. Look down and street colours dance. The pace is fast, all merges into a blur of movement. The essence of energy; living, moving, colliding, breathing, a testament to the human spirit."