Crosby Street

Oil on linen, 36″ x 48″, 2014

This is Crosby Street in Soho, at noon. I was captivated by the play of light on the buildings at this time of day. The shadows make a U-shape that anchors the composition. The presence of the trucks on the cobblestone street break up the space, which stretches north to Bleecker Street and beyond. The people are shown in everyday activities, such as making a delivery, taking a cigarette break, and sunning while reading or writing on their electronic devices. The blue of the sky is repeated and brought toward the foreground in a poster, canopy, shirt, and jeans, while the red of the buildings on the left is highlighted and repeated in the truck details.

See also Painting Crosby Street, a video showing the process of creating this painting in 2014.