MARDI GRAS DAY, NEW ORLEANS 1927

Colette Pope Heldner captured MARDI GRAS DAY, NEW ORLEANS with oil on canvas using impressionistic techniques. The paint is thickly applied in a technique known as impasto. This gives a textured, almost sculptural quality to the scene, capturing the vibrant energy and layers of Mardi Gras celebrations. The texture is not just an aesthetic choice, but an intrinsic part of the work's meaning. It conveys the sensory overload of the event – the density of the crowd, the weight of the costumes, and the palpable excitement in the air. Heldner's choice of oil paint also ties her to a long lineage of artists. Yet, she breaks from tradition in her gestural approach, using visible brushstrokes. Her choice of material, the way she applied it, and the scene she chose to represent, combine to give us a rich impression of a culture deeply rooted in craft, performance, and communal experience. Through the artwork Heldner challenges the traditional distinction between fine art and everyday life.