Land Escape
Click the image to go to the series
The Abstracted Landscape
When I was first introduced to Google Earth my world expanded. I traveled the earth and space via the computer screen. I had, up to that point, been experimenting with contemporary landscape and conceptual abstraction . As a trained designer, I saw the impact of the patterns, colors and textures made evident through satellite imagery. I was intrigued by the way the my impression of the landscape changed as I zoomed closer in and further out of map. I decided to let those factors inform an entire series of paintings using luminous color, designed composition and descriptive textural elements woven into and added onto the surface.
The Uniqueness of the Bird's Eye View Painting
A photograph is a record of what is. A painting gives opportunity to express the soul, ideas for the future and glances to the past. Connections being interesting to me, this approach provides a pathway to encompass current, ancient and historical imagery into my work. A city's current day layout, for example, reflects the land use needs of its original settlers. The geography of an area influences highway layout, suburban development patterns, and commercial, industrial and recreational use.
I have noticed that people tend to find these map inspired abstractions very interesting. They hold the attention and become interactive. People try to identify locations, geographic features and landmarks. I am often asked about the symbols and textural elements I use. After many times through you might notice a road-map fragment, a corporate logo, a piece of a musical score I inserted or something I have written on the painting. It can be fun to see an interpretation of your property holdings from the air.
I have noticed that people tend to find these map inspired abstractions very interesting. They hold the attention and become interactive. People try to identify locations, geographic features and landmarks. I am often asked about the symbols and textural elements I use. After many times through you might notice a road-map fragment, a corporate logo, a piece of a musical score I inserted or something I have written on the painting. It can be fun to see an interpretation of your property holdings from the air.