197th RSA Annual Exhibition, 2023
Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
Julia Krone, ‘Cannes I’, mixed media on canvas, 155x155cm, £7500
6 May – 11 June 2023
I spent New Year 2023 in Cannes, on the French Riviera and this painting was my emotional response to the glamour and the bright sunshine - even in winter - of the Cote d’Azur.
Each morning and evening I would walk past this large striped precast concrete block on the Boulevard de la Croissette, just below our apartment.
Spray painted with neon orange stripes, I found it an amusing twist to the classic navy and white Breton French stripe. The stripes also echo my JK company branding, which is that same neon orange.
The concrete block was hard to escape. I could not stop marveling at the stripes and when I got back to my Edinburgh studio, I managed to capture these orange stripes and my own emotional response to Cannes, that week, in this painting.
In the past year I became a French National after a very long application process.
Whilst using Dutch Wax (Vlisco) fabric as collage, referencing my African roots; I seek to bring together all three of my nationalities – South African, British and French.
As I paint, I seek to capture the immediacy of a situation, a moment in time or an experience. In this case, it was the essence of Cannes.
I am fascinated by the transcendent qualities of a painting. My work is all about being immersed in nature, the land and the sea.
Images: Gallery 3 at the RSA Annual Exhibition, featuring Cannes I in centre ; 'French Fancy', Homes & interiors Scotland, Art News; July/August 2023RSA Catalogue, Gallery 3, Cat. 228.