Imogen Hawgood

I live and work in the English countryside, however it was a visit to Los Angeles which has had the most influence on my work. I became fascinated by the dramatic neon marquees of movie theatres and huge outlandish signs which adorn the building facades along Hollywood Boulevard and the Sunset Strip. While a lot of my work depicts an idealised version of LA, I have also explored a darker side of the ‘city of dreams’. Wildfires, and other extreme weather events, are becoming more frequent and disastrous due to climate change. ‘Ride the Highway West’, titled in reference to The Doors 1960s track ‘The End’, depicts recent Californian wildfires viewed from the interior of an escaping car. California’s skyscapes resembled not the blue cloudless paradise we have come to know, but an apocalyptic orange glow, turning day to night. I work with oil paints and while there is a foundation of realism within my work, I am most interested in creating an image which seems like a moment in time.

Ride the Highway West

Wildfires, and other extreme weather events, are becoming more frequent and disastrous due to climate change. ‘Ride the Highway West’, titled in reference to The Doors 1960s track ‘The End’, depicts recent Californian wildfires viewed from the interior of an escaping car. California’s skyscapes resembled not the blue cloudless paradise we have come to know, but an apocalyptic orange glow, turning day to night.