Patrick Staley

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drawing & Printmaking)

Magnified perception is a stark reality of isolation. Isolation brought upon by unforeseen circumstances. Isolated spaces are muted by monochrome; the contrasts created tell an ambiguous story. Elements of moral ambiguity, alienation and pessimism are motifs of film noir, which are reflected in the monochromatic images that pay homage to the original grayscale photos and film used in the process of creating my work. The bridge between drawing and image meet through the control of tonality, as light is reconstructed by pastel and charcoal to create new textures and tones. Drawings that reflect scenes from the film construct a deeper ambiguity—as if lining up performative pieces and arranging them in logical order to draw out conclusions—exposing a possible revelation in the film that accompanies the drawings.