Thomas Deaton captures a world where nostalgia meets untouched realms in his evocative cityscape paintings. Based in New Orleans, a city that dances between vibrancy and decay, Deaton crafts surreal depictions of neighborhoods engulfed by a perpetual flood. These scenes transport the audience into a mirrored version of his hometown, where the waters rise to consume the forgotten alleys and hidden corners rarely seen by day. His art reveals a curious narrative, combining the rich layers of history with silent, sunken streets, leading the onlooker to wonder what tales are concealed beneath the watery depths.
The power of Deaton’s work lies in its ability to contrast the bustling life of downtown with the eerie serenity of submerged neighborhoods. Lush canopies expand over desolate streets, and solitary figures wander under dimmed streetlights, lost in a dreamlike trance only Deaton can conjure. Each painting is a window into a forgotten world, a haunting homage to the enduring spirit of places often overshadowed by nearby urban allure. This synthesis of reality and imagination crafts an immersive experience, encouraging the observer to explore the dynamic interplay of water, structure, and emotion woven through the fabric of his distinctive coastal city.
My recent paintings are narrative cityscapes, fixating on snapshots of blighted neighborhoods in a fictional coastal city based largely on New Orleans. These areas are within view of the bright and bustling downtown, yet they are literally sunken and forgotten, their streets quietly drowning beneath a stagnant and perpetual flood. Houses and backyards are swallowed whole by hungry sinkholes, while lone pedestrians get stoned under street lights darkened by an ever-expanding canopy of verdant leaves.
Thomas Deaton
More info: Website, Instagram (h/t: New American Paintings).
