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Clockwork Bear, Bronze sculpture

Andrea McVeigh Art

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This artwork captures the tension between past grandeur and present decay, where the ornate forms of a gilded mirror and table exist only as traces against a raw, industrial wall. Peeling remnants of wallpaper hint at a lost era of refinement, now overtaken by time’s erosion. The shadow of a fruit bowl, barely perceptible, serves as a ghostly reminder of past abundance, an echo of life once present. The contrast between the baroque embellishments and the stark, concrete background suggests both nostalgia and inevitability, where beauty persists, even in absence.

This piece explores the tension between the industrial and the ornate, the rigid and the ephemeral. The rough, weathered backdrop, reminiscent of concrete, suggests permanence and structure, an almost architectural foundation. In contrast, a delicate floral silhouette emerges like a fading memory, soft yet persistent. At the centre, a gilded vase frames an empty blue core, holding space for what is absent yet still felt. The interplay between the hard-edged background and the intricate, decorative vessel highlights the passage of time and how beauty, craftsmanship, and history leave their mark, sometimes fading, sometimes enduring.

‘Weight of Time’ delves into the gradual and inescapable effects of time on industrial structures and the materials they are composed of. The painting juxtaposes a solid, weighty stone block with rusted metal pipes, invoking themes of endurance, decay, and transformation. Its muted, desaturated tones and textured surfaces create an atmosphere of stillness, reinforcing the relentless passage of time.

The corroded metal, marked by oxidation and wear, stands as a testament to time's impact, illustrating how even the strongest materials eventually succumb to erosion. In contrast, the stone block appears unchanged, yet under the right conditions, it too will weather and break apart. The interplay between these elements underscores a tension between permanence and impermanence, strength and vulnerability.

Soft, diffused lighting and shadows further emphasise the subtle drama of time at work. The industrial aesthetic, characterised by worn and forgotten structures, serves as a reminder that even human-made constructs, once symbols of progress and utility, will eventually be reclaimed by nature and entropy.

By removing distractions, ‘Weight of Time’ invites viewers to contemplate materials' slow, silent transformation, paralleling our passage through time. It serves as a meditation on resilience, inevitability, and the quiet beauty of decay.

This painting is part of a series of abstract works. By deliberately cracking and fracturing layered paint and textures, it explores the visual language of decay, the passage of time, disruption, and transformation.

Oil, Acrylic, Plaster
2024

100cm x 100cm

This painting is part of a series of abstract works. By deliberately cracking and fracturing layered paint and textures, it explores the visual language of decay, the passage of time, disruption, and transformation.

Mixed Media on Canvas, 2023

100cm x 100cm

My take on the famous East Side Gallery Mural 'Test the Best' by Birgit Kinder (1989).
I created this piece for the Final Master Class Exhibition 2024 at Brookes University.

Mixed Media on Canvas 2023

100cm x 100cm

My take on the famous East Side Gallery Mural "My God, help me to survive this deadly love" by Dmitri Vrubel (1990).
I created this piece for the Final Master Class Exhibition 2024 at Brookes University — the kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker, East Side Gallery in Berlin.

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