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Saturday 19 September 2009

The Romance of Travel



Ok title is semi ironic, but then I think there is a romance even in motorways.

9 comments:

Vicente Herrero said...

Simon, these topics have more captivation of what is thought, and his is very well treated.
I am doing something on this topic also

Simon Jones said...

Hi Vincente, thanks again for your observations, look forward to seeing your paintings on this topic, love your paintings, amazing light. Drove down the same motorway again today in soft late summer sun and thought, yes the romance of travel, problem was I was travelling to Swansea.... But I have travelled down the same road on hitchiking sagas that crossed europe etc etc...

Sheila Vaughan said...

So do I (think there is romance even in motorways). I like getting lost on the road, it's weird - the feeling that no-one can find me, nobody knows where I am. This is a painting which draws me in and onwards.

Leslie Sealey said...

Wow, nice work! This painting draws me in and makes me wonder where the road leads.

Simon Jones said...

Hi Sheila, yes I know what you mean, its universal and not just a bit strange this fascination with roads. I reckon its partly some form of genetic memory, we have been nomadic hunter gatherers out of Africa for about 90,000 years, then there's all the pilgrimages. And partly I think its an enjoyment of stepping outside of day to day life, to be transient and between events. Its that floaty disconnected feeling of going over a hump back bridge, a feeling of being cast adrift from events, I think that's why my favourite Hopper painting is the "Intermission" its of nothing at all, maybe the sound of one hand clapping, god knows.

Simon Jones said...

Welcome Leslie, as you know I am a new fan of your work, see you do a lot of roads too, see my rant above as to my guess as to why roads are such a common obsession.

Bruce Docker said...

especially at high speed!

Lorena said...

love it, simple everyday topic and yet I am somehow always drawn to roads and bridges and industrial landscapes. Something to do with the semiotician in me,and fascination with the intersection of man/nature/technology. In Vail Colorado U.S. there is a road/tunnel that goes through the mountain, it's so fascinating, almost industrial/sensual/Freudian about it.

Simon Jones said...

Thanks Lorena for dropping by, and your thoughtful comments.