I70 Canyon

I70 Canyon October 2009

Oil On Canvas

As we hurtled through the depths of the I70 canyon, the road began a steady inclination. The walls of the great bowl fell away on either side, and we were suddenly riding a colossal urban flyover. Commanding the city beneath it and dictating the stream of its passengers above, the great gateway to the city seemed to stretch on infinitely, across a limitless, scorched industrial zone. Headlights blended with the factories, lit up in the night, racing by. Great chimneys approached, towering, pumping purple smog, blotting out the stars. Billboards loomed weirdly out of the haze, presenting familiar and bewildering imagery. Unable to focus, I gazed across a patchwork of lights. In the distance, an enormous blimp meandered amongst skyscrapers.

Sketch for 170 Canyon

The traffic sped on. A ball of flame billowed into the air on the passenger side, just enough time to watch sparks and burning matter crackle then disappear into haze. This was a threatening environment, bleak, anarchic, violent, and yet simultaneously awesome; it possessed an irresistible and alien aesthetic.

The Crash November 2009