Angel Duran

Mason Gross School of The Arts

The Social Interactions of an Insomniac, 2020
oil on canvas, 40 x 60 inches

Tell us about the work that you have submitted.
This piece depicts the moment Brandon, a self-professed insomniac, crosses paths with a stranger on an empty New York City street. Thematically, it poses questions about the role urbanization plays in social fragmentation and the disintegration of human interactions. It highlights how – instead of forming intra-personal relationships – metropolitan areas can help foster the feeling of isolation. My hope is that this piece helps form a communal experience built upon our shared moments of isolation.

How would you describe your studio practice?
Rather than plan out a painting ahead of time, I simply decide on the feeling I wish for it to evoke. I spend hours photographing strangers, chasing the perfect moment of emotional resonance. Oftentimes I find them; other times, I'm forced to collage multiple photos together in order to achieve my desired goal (my featured painting, for example, is made up of 17 different photographs). Since my works serve as an exploration of the relationship between painting and photography, I tend to incorporate qualities traditionally considered unique to photography – such as the bokeh effect – into my paintings, as a means of addressing how both media have historically related to each other.

What motivated you to apply to the AXA Art Prize?
The AXA Art Prize provides the perfect opportunity to present my work to a larger audience, while also allowing me to engage in a broader dialogue about the themes of my practice and to see how deeply these themes resonate with others.

Website: www.angelduranstudios.com
Instagram: @artist.duran