Life Refracted
“Life Refracted” is a series of large scale oil paintings which explore humanity through the figurative landscape. Works are large scale to utilize the full effect of the figure and create an impressionable moment for a viewer. I work in oil because it provides control over the subtleties of the painting and has an inherent luminosity in value and color. I use the emotional gesture of the human silhouette juxtaposed with diverse landscapes. The human form imparts narrative to the landscape subject and causes us to reflect on our relationship with our environments and ourselves. We each have different internal backgrounds which refract our perception of our surroundings, but we share core themes which combine to form humanity.
The theme of Humanity is very broad and widely interpreted but I discovered through my research that core themes are shared between interpretations. When I began this process I did extensive journaling about Humanity, writing down my thoughts and impressions as I observed human cultures. This observation came first hand as I traveled through Europe and Central America, gathering experience, understanding, and visual inspiration. I watched people in stores, on the subway, in church, news, film and literature, and probed for answers to what, why and where. What makes up humanity, why is it important, and where is it going?
