Who Remembers Last Night? (2019)

This painting is part of a series I made in my Intermediate Painting class at the University of Central Florida, which was exploring the idea of nightlife and taking a deep look at the culture of it. Memories under the influence are hazy, the connections you make are fleeting, and the mental state that you are in is very particular. There is all types of stimulus coming from the loud music, the flashing lights, the friction from dancing, the smell of sweat; it's all happening at once. There's the shady people, the silly people, the sexy people. I feel a sense of voyeurism mixed with a temptation to go "all out" when I am at the club. I'm curious and vulnerable. When I first started going out and experiencing nightlife, it always felt like all eyes were on me. However, it wasn't just the thought of being judged on my mind. It was also an awareness I felt knowing that I am a part of this moment in time. People are capturing me through their perspectives of this moment, relating me to the way they feel. Will I allow myself to interact with strangers? Dance the night away? Drink and do drugs until I can't anymore? It's all so fascinating, but also scary. Do I fit in? How do people perceive me? Do they see me the way I see them?

Made with acrylic paint on canvas.
16" x 20"