In my oil painting titled Lap 3, the historic Piazza del Campo is animated by the Palio race, which breathes life into the Medieval heart of Siena. To maintain movement, I painted looser blocks of colour paired with gestural contour lines, and tightened up the blocks of colour in the buildings. The architecture records the historic events, such as the Palio race of the Medieval city, and continues to house the race track in a place accessible to all local Sienese spectators. Memory and tradition are ingrained in the space of the Piazza, which is maintained and nourished in the present day, preserving the Sienese identity. While working on my piece, I was thinking about whether the Sienese civic identity is a changing or fixed entity, as it is attached to the dignity and pride of its people.
Dimensions of Work: 152.40 x 76.20 x 3.81 cm
