You gotta love this series by Portuguese artist Artur Bordalo (aka Bordalo II) in which he cleverly converts the horizontal lines of train tracks into a canvas.
Born in Lisbon in 1987, Artur Bordalo aka Bordalo II (an apparent ode to his grandfather) grew up watching his grandfather, Real Bordalo, painting the city of Lisbon.
Bordalo II presents us a figurative painting full of vivacity and movement, where he paints his own interpretation of urban landscapes and city entertainment. He’s exploring his own mixed media on wood stand base, and are thus made a series of collages of objects (garbage). It is not only a way to recycle, but also a critique of the world we live in, where we often have nice things, which are based on junk without realizing it.
For the Railway series, which has been popping up on railways throughout Portugal since earlier this year, he often uses bright, neon colors which create a nice contrast between the dull gray rocks and tracks. And each artwork is even accompanied by subtle titles that are playful and cynical at the same time.
Remember: Bordalo II is notoriously known for blending trashed objects into his paintings, where you can see behind the layers of ink a whole side of a car, a fire extinguisher or a tricycle splattered amongst vivid colors on the canvas.
