White Star Laundry (in Durham, NC)

In front of the White Star Laundromat young families hang out in the heavy southern heat, blasting Spanish music from their parked cars. The moment I step inside the olive green interior, the thick glass muffles the street noise. In the cool air conditioning, I can sit for hours uninterrupted in my thoughts. There is the thump of drying clothes and repetitions of things outside, telephone poles and streetlights, to soothe the mind. They multiply in the reflective surfaces, on the wall length mirror and picture window, merging with the scenery inside.
Acrylic on wood support
18” x 24”

Durham Dive

The "Four Flames" Motel in Durham, NC has seen better days, for sure. I love the textures and colors created as the exterior decays--the peeling blue paint reveals older coats of red and yellow, and the falling paneling lays bare the cinderblock wall beneath. This motel stood as a sort of welcoming landmark near the freeway exit to downtown Durham. I believe it has been torn down. Acrylic on pine panel.