I was thinking of calling this painting "The Institution". However it is actually a view of one of the stairways in the small low rise block of flats I live in, so I didn't really want to give people the impression they have carted me off to an institution just yet LOL.Actually one reason it has chairs on the landings is because it was originally intended for people over 55 and although they dropped the age limit to 45+ in more recent years obviously there are still one or two more senior tenents. Of course I suppose one reason they dropped the age limit is precisely because of the stairs. Why they thought building accommodation originally intended for senior citizens with stairs, no lifts and no wheelchair access boggles the mind. Not that I'm complaining I'm very pleased to have got a flat in such a nice building. :)
Anyway I noticed the sun was shining in through the window one day after going out to check my electricity meter and what with the 1970s style vintage chair, empty but as if someone may have just got up from it and the sunlight casting beams and shadows down the wall I thought the scene would make a lovely painting and is perhaps somewhat reminiscent of Edward Hopper, who has to be the most influential realist painters ever, given that I find it difficult to look at anything without thinking I've seen it in a Hopper painting. Arrgh! Though not such a bad thing really I do love realist painting of that style and never tire of looking at paintings like that, in fact I managed to see most of Hoppers major original works in a big exhibition in London back in the late 1970s when I was in Art College so I guess he was pretty influential in my development as an artist :)
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