Revisions 2021

Owen Gent’s painting, Revisions, uses geometric forms and a muted palette to depict an intimate view of what looks like an urban alleyway. I can imagine Owen Gent mixing up a batch of paint, maybe thinning it down to get those smooth, even washes of color, especially in the walls and ground, and using a slightly textured surface. The shadows are like characters themselves, stretching and morphing the shapes of things. I wonder if he was thinking about those old Italian metaphysical painters? The zig-zag motif on the staircase feels like a jolt of energy. It’s like he's saying, "Hey, don't get too comfortable with the calm, there's always a little twist in the story." These small details add up, don't they? They invite us to see the world in a slightly off-kilter, unexpected way. It's like Owen Gent is nudging us to question what we think we know about the places we pass by every day.