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InspirationArt & Culture

Hyperrealistic paintings that look like blurred photographs of cityscapes at night

You know when you have a camera that can't cope with taking photographs in low light? And you end up with out-of-focus images, blurred with colourful lines and swirls that actually look quite appealing? This is what I consider when I look at the beautiful work of Brooklyn-based artist Alexandra Pacula. She creates large-scale paintings that explore the seductive ambiance of cities at night – the pulsating chaos and the exciting fast-pace, along with the neon lights that decorate the urban landscape.

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Blurred cityscape at twilight with illuminated skyscrapers and streaking lights from traffic reflected in water below

She explains: "My work investigates a world of visual intoxication; it captures moments of enchantment, which are associated with urban nightlife. I am fascinated by the ambiance of the city at night and its seductive qualities. The breathtaking turbulence of speeding vehicles and hasty pedestrians evoke feelings of wonder and disorientation. The vibrant lights become a magical landscape with enticing opportunities and promises of fulfilment.

"In our seemingly content society there is a struggle to achieve greater levels of enjoyment. We explore various environments and activities in search of pleasure. Extravagant lights of night environments seduce us to participate in curious events, enticing us to experience new forms of satisfaction."

Recreating the feeling of dizziness and confusion by letting the paint blur and allowing shapes to dissolve, Alexandra suggestions motion in order to slow down the scene and capture the fleeting moments, which tend to be forgotten. She adds: "The sense of motion is intensified with the use of quick vigorous lines and sharp perspectives. By interpreting lights in graphic or painterly ways, I create a sense of space, alluding to a hallucinogenic experience. I want the viewer’s eye to travel within my composition and experience a familiar, exhilarating event of an actual nightly excursion."

Via CrossConnect | All images courtesy of Alexandra Pacula

Blurred vertical streaks of neon colours – red, green, blue, yellow and white – suggest tall buildings of a nighttime cityscape against a dark sky
Blurred vertical streaks of neon lights in purple, blue, yellow and green creating an abstract impression of a night-time cityscape
Blurred painting of urban nightscape with streaking lights from vehicles and buildings creating horizontal and vertical trails of yellow, blue and red against a twilight sky
Overhead view of an illuminated city street at night with blurred neon lights, vehicles and buildings rendered in yellows, blues and reds across the canvas
New York City skyline at dusk with the Empire State Building and illuminated skyscrapers reflected in water below a twilight blue sky
Aerial view of a nighttime city with blurred tall buildings lit in warm and cool tones, creating a sense of motion and urban chaos
Blurred aerial view of illuminated city buildings at night with streaks of warm and cool coloured lights creating a sense of motion and disorientation
Abstract blurred painting with layered horizontal bands of vibrant colours including neon pink, yellow, blue and green, evoking nighttime city lights and motion
Neon lights streak across buildings in an out-of-focus nighttime cityscape with blurred colourful lines of yellow, blue, green and white suggesting motion and urban energy
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