Sometimes a room is almost finished and the wall is still unresolved. The furniture works. The lighting works. The proportions are right. The art is the decision that's left.
Corey Wesley works from Harlem, creating one-of-one contemporary works on archival aluminum and in framed formats. Collectors and interior designers approach art differently, because a designer also has to consider the architecture, lighting, scale, and the client who will live with the work.
Start with the wall
Before choosing a piece, measure the available wall and look at the main sightlines through the room. A 24 by 36 work can feel substantial in one space and cramped in another.
Contrast Faces is one example of a work with enough scale to sit on a wall by itself without requiring an oversized room.
Why I work on aluminum
I chose aluminum because I like the way the surface interacts with the image and with the light around it. The works float approximately half an inch from the wall and arrive ready to hang.
As the light changes, different parts of the image may catch your attention. That matters in a room people move through throughout the day.
If art is being considered for a project, I think it helps to make that decision before every other element is locked. I've written more about bringing art into the process earlier here.
About the work
The series is Unapologetic Faces: The Cost of Being Seen. The figures are archetypes rather than portraits of specific people.
I leave parts of the expressions unresolved because I don't want to decide what every viewer is supposed to see. That gives a client room to develop their own relationship with the work.
Working directly with the artist
My work has appeared in Brown Style Magazine and New York Weekly. Unapologetic Faces debuted at Goddard Riverside in New York City.
I still handle inquiries directly. If you're considering a work for a specific wall, send the dimensions, a photograph of the room, and information about the lighting. I'll tell you which available works I think are worth considering and whether the scale makes sense.
Every work is one of one. Once a piece such as Reflections is acquired, that work is no longer available to another collector or designer.
If you're working on a residential, hospitality, or commercial placement, you can contact the studio directly.
