Triptych I, New York from the Top 2014

Curator: This striking triptych, entitled "Triptych I, New York from the Top," was created in 2014 by Pietropoli Patrick using a mixed-media approach incorporating painting and print techniques. It's held in a Private Collection. My first impression is a metallic shimmer, a hazy, almost dreamlike cityscape. Editor: That sense of hazy atmosphere resonates. New York is undeniably romanticized. I wonder how the aerial perspective influences this feeling, placing us in a position of privilege and detachment from the realities of street life below. The use of a triptych format gives me altarpiece vibes almost. Is this romanticized view some sort of deity or idol to modern life and finance? Curator: That's an interesting proposition. Triptychs often carry a religious connotation, nodding towards devotional art, but it seems as though that tradition gets disrupted and recontextualized in Pietropoli’s depiction. It shows how the mythology and worship surrounding the American city, specifically its financial districts, begin to take form. Also the scale might suggest an overwhelming presence, especially if one is experiencing urban alienation and social atomization. Editor: Definitely. And in choosing the medium of mixed-media – layering print with painting – does he want to point to the different facets that constitute that idealized notion? You know the lived realities versus media projections and its reproduction? The print, with its reproducible qualities, makes me think about urban experiences flattened for consumption. The addition of paint lends a handmade feel back into it – human touch within the modern steel-and-concrete landscape, even while still perpetuating an elevated perspective. Curator: That’s insightful! It appears as if Patrick highlights a socio-political commentary, inviting discourse around architectural dominance while highlighting a visual style that mirrors social commentary through its layered meaning. Editor: Agreed. The limited palette also strikes me as significant. It’s devoid of life or vibrant colors. Just metallic grey scale – a uniformity to both highlight these buildings, yet flatten its surrounding spaces and populations. Curator: Exactly! I've now come to regard this not just as an aesthetic artwork, but also an artistic lens that questions society’s values regarding urban development. Editor: Yes, it allows us to consider what role contemporary art has on modern-day issues.