[Norlisk] A Full Sunrise In Norlisk (2020)

Material: Spraypaint & Stencil

Surface: Wood Panel

A second part in the Norilsk related works. This one is a frontside view of one of the many similar looking apartment complexes that reside in the region. The focus of the piece is the repetitive nature of the architecture, where there are very similar looking balconies side to side. Using stencil technique to capture the very angular part of the building and to discover various ways of creating texture and detail from the wood itself to the addition of some painted areas. The reason for choosing this subject is because it’s one of the more unique attributes of the region and is very emblematic of both its past and present. The grid-like structure of the buildings was very compatible with the stencil medium . The use of spray paint was also important, as the spraying of the paint especially at certain distances creates a snow-like atmosphere for the piece.

The purpose of this series was to pick a location, examine it, get inspired and then to create pieces based on the mood of the area. From numerous image searches, to documentaries and research on the particular town. I decided to pick Norilsk, a Nickel mining town in northern Russia. In the past during the soviet union it was a gulag prison camp and one of the most northern ones for that matter. The more up north a gulag would be, the more cruel it was not just labour wise but the living conditions for the prisoners were far more dire. In this instance, the many apartment buildings were very utilitarian and for the most part were built almost exactly the same in unified chunks. The buildings were also numbers, with massive stencil numbering sprayed on the side of the edifice.

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