This piece depicts a scene of a Parisian jazz club including a live band and a large audience. It functions as an immersive window into a nightlife scene - a visualisation of nocturnal social culture laced with a literal materiality which facilitates the environment. Alcohol is incorporated as a medium throughout the painting process, with red wine, gin and tonic, vodka, white wine, and lager used to stain the canvas and prompt a sensory interpretation from an audience. The beverages used are commonly consumed within 'third spaces' - spaces outside work or the home which are intended for recreation and socialisation. This synthesises a complex yet recognisable scent which evokes the atmosphere of a pub or bar.
In this work, areas of sharper, more detailed painting are introduced amongst the overall sketchy nature which appear almost photorealistic in contrast. This mimics the sensation of intoxicated vision, where focus shifts unpredictably, and certain details become momentarily heightened against a blurred or fragmented environment.
The title 'Bacchanalia' further speaks to themes of intoxication. 'Bacchanalia' refers to historical festivals which were held in honour of 'Bacchus', the Roman god of wine who has roots in Greek mythology. These festivals were sites of excessive alcohol consumption, indulgence and hedonism, adjacent to and comparable with contemporary scenes of wild night life and drunken revelry.
