Glasgow-based Merlin James reinvigorates genre painting by placing familiar subject matter onto sheer panels that reveal the wood frame lying beneath the surface. In 5.30 AM, a roughly painted white house with black door sits atop a low tan field that aligns with the wooden support below the sheer fabric. The small-scale landscape is dwarfed by various elements behind the scene, and the distressed frame seems to suggest the weathered exterior of the depicted house. James’ enigmatic paintings have been included in solo and group exhibitions across the US and the UK.
Merlin James
5.30 AM
2011
wood, polyester, and acrylic
18 1/8 x 23 5/8 inches