Random Notes

“Random Notes” consists of a small group of paintings mostly created over the past two years - they are meticulous, skillful, detailed and thoughtful.

Paul Groot's (Dip '79, Printmaking) work is rooted in the photorealist genre, though not in the strictest sense. The paintings, executed in oil, are usually based on personal photographs, chosen intuitively. The subject matter consists of everyday scenes, such as buildings, street scenes, vehicles, figures, etc., that are often perceived as ordinary or unremarkable in themselves. Although mostly painted monochromatically, colour always plays an important role in his work. 

The subject matter for the paintings are seemingly random but are scenes that held Paul’s full attention over the course of the months it took to paint them: cars, crowds, an orchestra, a Paris souvenir stand and portraits of other artists. Some of the paintings appear at a distance as highly realistic but as the viewer walks closer, the image dissolves into abstraction.  

Tourists, 2024