WATCH THIS SPACE

WATCH THIS SPACE

High Pressure / Low Pressure Artist Josh O’Rourke DateJanuary 2019 Location Marine Parade, New Brighton

Created as part of Re:Activate New Brighton, a creative activation initiative between SCAPE Public Art and then Christchurch City Council entity DCL in early 2019, High Pressure / Low Pressure transformed New Brighton artist Josh O’Rourke’s process-driven studio practice into a stretching public wall painting along the Southern walk ramp entrance to the iconic New Brighton Pier. The painterly abstraction, created by masking sections and dragging paint across the twenty concrete panels, is evocative of the surrounding area. The organic curves that emanate across the design echo meteorological maps and the winds that shape the waves and dunes. The shimmering colours, blues and greens with flashes of yellow and magenta, are gestural and suggest the alternatively roaring and serene ocean just beyond the wall. These elements define not only the surrounding landscape but also the artist’s own experiences as a lifelong surfer of the local break. High Pressure / Low Pressure exemplifies the power of abstraction to create a meaningful reflection of our cherished environments.

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watchthisspace.org.nz/artwork/799