Oil paint and found paper on wood panel

When Mackey moved to San Francisco 25 years ago she left her career in architecture to follow her dream of painting, but never lost her love for structures and spaces. Her works are inspired by abandoned buildings whose walls hold stories about past uses and occupants. As part of her creative process she creates a playful interaction between a street poster collage and the paint, reminding us of the narrative layers found in the urban environment.

An abandoned classroom on the decommissioned naval base at Mare Island, CA: study chairs clustered and tumbled, the far wall blank except for a flyer on the chalkboard, a doorway directs our gaze into other classrooms, sunlight from the windows breaking the gloom.
The unplanned collage of street-posters, which lies beneath the painted image, energizes the space adding unpredictability. An unknown man glances back as he exits bottom right.