Man-Tropolis' takes its cue from Lowry’s visions of Manchester, but reimagines the city for the present day. Tower blocks and glass stand in place of chimneys and smoke, their façades pulled through paint to create a surface charged with structure and rhythm. A limited palette of deep blues is broken by energizing flashes of burnt sienna and bursts of yellow, while dark silhouettes suggest the restless crowds moving through day and night. Angles repeat and collide, giving the sense of a city pressing outwards beyond the frame.
Collaged woods—tea chest, oak, mahogany, vintage pine, red cedar, and letterpress blocks—push the surface forward in sculptural relief. This layering of heritage timbers intensifies the architecture of the scene, making the painting itself echo the city’s build-up over time. Beneath it all lies a Collaged woods—tea chest, oak, mahogany, vintage pine, red cedar, and letterpress blocks—push the surface forward in sculptural relief. This layering of heritage timbers intensifies the architecture of the scene, making the painting itself echo the city’s build-up over time. Beneath it all lies a birch ply substrate a remnanat from a local house renovation, anchoring the piece in a story of lived Lowry-esque history while extending its play between past and present.
