FATHER FIGURE
Father Figure begins with a roll of expired film discovered inside the Canon AE-1 Program camera I inherited from my stepfather. When the film was developed, images appeared of classic American muscle cars photographed at a meet-up in my home province of Alberta, long before the camera ever reached me. This passing down became a new point of connection across distance and time.
1969 Dodge Dart GTS Convertible / 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift and acrylic paint on canvas, 70 x 50 cm
THE SERIES TREATS THE ROLL OF FILM AS AN ACT OF ARCHIVAL INHERITANCE: IMAGES THAT BELONG TO HIM, NOW REINTERPRETED THROUGH MY HANDS.
1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift and acrylic paint on canvas, 30 x 30 cm
In the process of bringing these works to life, fragments of shared moments surfaced—memories of times spent together, including building a small wooden race car side by side. Through this work, I formed a relationship to a past I didn’t fully inhabit or understand at the time.
1964 Mercury Park Lane Convertible, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift and acrylic paint on canvas, 70 x 50 cm
Each work takes shape through enlarging the original photograph, fragmenting it into tiles, and reconstructing it by hand. I layer paint using colours drawn from my own lens, rather than restoring the cars’ original hues. This re-colouring asserts authorship and reframes the archive through my emotional perspective.
1933 Ford Five-Window Coupe, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift and acrylic paint on canvas, 50 x 40 cm
1932 Ford Deuce Roadster, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift
and acrylic paint on canvas, 50 x 40 cm
1969 Pontiac Firebird, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift and acrylic paint on canvas, 50 x 20 cm
1969 Plymouth Barracuda, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift and acrylic paint on canvas, 50 x 20 cm
Fragmentation reflects the gaps in our relationship; reconstruction becomes a gesture of care and repair. As part of In Between Hurt and Healing, Father Figure traces a movement toward reconciliation—transforming a lost roll of film into a pathway for healing.
1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Coupe (Custom) / 1969 Dodge Charger, 2025
Polaroid emulsion lift and acrylic paint on canvas, 50 x 40 cm
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS COMING SOON
CONTACT FOR PRIVATE COMMISIONS
©RYAN ESQUIVEL ART