Jon Francis - 719 Alleys and Oddities

What might feel strange at first glance—an alleyway, a forgotten corner, an unexpected scene—becomes something entirely different when rooted in familiarity. In this body of work, I explore the quiet tension between the “odd” and the intimate, using scenes from Colorado Springs as both subject and anchor. These are places that might register as curious or even strange to an outsider, yet for those who know them, they hold a layered sense of comfort, memory, and belonging. Painting these peculiar spaces is a study in how the unusual becomes deeply personal and comforting over time. The alleys and oddities I depict are not just physical locations, but emotional landscapes, shaped by repetition, memory, and a kind of quiet attachment that turns the strange into something enduring and human.