Balancing Act Painting

Paul Darragh AKA Bemodern is an artist and designer based in Matamata, New Zealand. He lived and worked in New York City for ten years before relocating back to New Zealand in June 2017 to devote more time to painting. "The sum of my work is split between content and execution. Firstly, I use a folk sensibility in content. I like narrative, story or point-of-view within the work. I like to talk about social issues of the moment, pop culture, reference art history and use humor. In execution I have a graphic sensibility. I use icons as a visual language to move a story forward. I love to manipulate bold colour, creating bright and dynamic palettes. I love to explore manipulation of depth, through graphic shadows and optical illusion. These practical elements add a veneer of surrealism."