Chris Bowman : Artist Statement

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Creating with natural subject matter is what I enjoy most.  As my work evolves I am more interested in the organic process of the paint and how I can adapt to its natural movement.  I began working on very large scale paintings, trying to push my own physical boundaries and the boundaries of the paint itself, especially when the movement of the paint became almost uncontrollable.

I am currently working on a multiple series of paintings that investigate the  eco-centric approach to the world.  My imagery deals with beauty, it’s corruptive implications and the darker side of moral human nature.  With the beauty comes an unsettling eeriness, a distinction that separates the light from the darker side of life.   What we experience and perceive is also of interest to me.  I invite multiple interpretations of  my work depending on each individual’s  intention or mood.

As our world is in a constant state of change, I want my paintings to act in an illusory way, representing range, depth and clarity. The process and effect are the central content, not the traditional representation of nature.  The world we see, and the importance we place on “mind made” realities, are as transitory and ephemeral as my branches.

“… the majority of the paintings are surprisingly quick to confront the viewer with any expectations of instantly digestible beauty, yet supplying it in full.”- Kim Neudorf, from a review written for Prairie Artsters, May 2010.