Brutalist Society: The Promise of Glass, 2018
For decades, writers photographers and artists have focused on the modern urban
landscape, hoping to access its towering language of dehumanizing jutting angles.
Inspired by the glass architecture that has been invading big cities around the world,
Callie has created a series of paintings of abstract glass buildings that flirt with illusions
of transparency and reflection. The Brutalist architecture deflects light, maintaining the
mystery of what lies behind them. Geometric shapes and muted colors imitate the
soulless feelings provoked by the facades of structures that appear empty and devoid of life.
As this series evolves, vibrant colors begin to crack open the façade and morph into new
reflections on hope and transcendence.
Glass buildings convey implicit and explicit meanings to passers-by and facilitate ways of
seeing and being seen. They are simultaneously reflective, illusory and amorphous leaving
it up to the viewer to interpret what’s transpiring. Callie’s interpretation of these window
views, more reflective then transparent, serving as her own reflective feelings of the present
reality that envelops us.
"Béton brut is a smooth architectural surface made out of concrete. Known for its ruggedness and lack of
concern to look comfortable or easy. First used in the economically depressed (and World War II-ravaged) communities
who sought inexpensive construction and design methods for low-cost housing, shopping centres, and government buildings".
---
