Contemplating Venice (2021)

Patrick Hughes - Series 1

Contemplating Venice is one of a series of works Patrick has made using the Venice scene. It has six planes in reverse perspective – Patrick’s invention of 1964 – and two flat ends. Patrick found the buildings of Venice a very useful resource, because the architecture contains a large number of details, so each window or door or balcony or balustrade in perspective is pointing the way to the horizon even though the structure is going in the reverse direction. The shimmering reflections and shadows in the water help the whole image to move from left to right and up and down.