Félix de la Concha

I always work on site. I sit to take in the view and start with a simple idea that I try to represent on the canvas. But soon, it becomes evident that it is impossible to paint what I see. So I play with the artificiality of representation.

For this work, which is composed of four fragments, I sat in four different positions in order to create four different perspectives. In keeping with their own movement, the train barriers are seen from different perspectives. The architectural background can be reconstructed as a panorama. This juxtaposition of four distinct parts creates a “conjunction” that resonates with the name of the town, White River Junction. A town defined by the grand heritage of the railroad, now in a state of decline in America.

I always need to be in the place I paint, consumed from start to finish in the painting. (I never work from photographs.) The representation of this scene does not come from the approach of a tourist, but from that of a person living in the area, painting his surroundings and looking for the spirit of the place. I hope that the painting transports the viewer to life in a special American vernacular.