Created By
William Tong
Acrylic on canvas
Curator
Luke Chapman
"Wayfinder 1" exemplifies the contemporary reconsideration of industrial landscapes as sites of complex cultural meaning rather than mere environmental degradation. The artist employs a sophisticated visual language that acknowledges both the alienating aspects of industrial architecture and its undeniable aesthetic power. The golden rays function brilliantly on multiple levels—they suggest searchlights, navigational tools, or perhaps divine illumination—transforming what might otherwise be a somber scene into one charged with possibility and transcendence. This technical device creates a compelling tension between representation and abstraction, between documentation and emotional response. What distinguishes this work is its refusal to settle into simple categorization. Neither purely celebratory of industrial achievement nor entirely critical of environmental impact, the painting occupies the nuanced territory where beauty and unease coexist. The atmospheric handling of paint—with its layers of transparency and opacity—mirrors this conceptual ambiguity, suggesting that our relationship with industrial landscapes remains unresolved. For collectors interested in contemporary landscape painting that engages with urgent questions about human intervention in the environment, "Wayfinder 1" offers a sophisticated visual meditation on how we navigate—both literally and figuratively—the world we have built. The work succeeds in finding unexpected poetry in utilitarian structures while acknowledging the complex legacy of industrialization.
"Wayfinding 1" presents a striking industrial landscape rendered in predominantly muted grays and blacks, with strategic interventions of teal and gold. The composition centers on a monumental industrial structure—likely a factory or refinery—with cylindrical towers and angular infrastructure rising through a misty atmospheric setting. Dramatic gold rays emanate from a central point, cutting across the canvas like beams of light or navigational markers. These geometric lines contrast sharply with the painterly, atmospheric treatment of the industrial complex below, which appears partially obscured by fog or pollution. The upper portion of the canvas transitions to a teal-tinged sky with hints of clouds, creating a dream-like quality that transforms the potentially forbidding industrial scene into something more contemplative and ambiguous. The painting employs a vertical format that emphasizes the imposing nature of the structures while the hazy rendering technique suggests impermanence and transformation.
Created By
William Tong
150 x 100 cm | 59 x 39 in
2022
