glenn moreton -- ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My chief goal:
When I paint, my primary goal is to create a composition that is aesthetically exciting. The typical viewer of contemporary realistic art may first be impressed with the startling realism frequently recreated in this genre of paintings--e.g.,the striking reflections in a storefront window, the drama created by carefully placed shadows, the flashy rendering of an automobile, or the familiar graphics or logos in a billboard. Occasionally I find that contemporary realist painters can duplicate reality with a technical facility that is impressive, but their paintings seem to have little to offer to the viewer beyond that technical slickness. Like such artists, I attempt to create a technically sharp realistic image, but contrary to what one may suspect, that is not my chief preoccupation: composition is what fascinates me. To me, a complicated, tenuously yet carefully balanced composition is extremely satisfying and contributes more deeply to the overall power of the work than do mere flashy rendering techniques.
More specifically, when I work with the composition or structure of the painting, I tend to play with the visual rhythm. Often I attempt to achieve this effect by repeating similar compositional shapes, and conversely, by emphasizing the contrasts among the compositional elements--with linear shapes playing against curvilinear forms, and with horizontal elements playing against verticals. I also enhance this movement by experimenting with color relationships, by carefully planning the placement of lights and darks, and by exaggerating and distorting perspective elements.
These visual experiments often involve my breaking rules. In some of my paintings, I draw each of the buildings on a slightly different perspective plane, so that instead of feeling that they are standing back observing a painting, the viewers have the feeling that they are actually in the painting, turning their heads, looking up, looking around, with the buildings looming above them or extending around them. In other paintings, I will make the color of an object in the distance appear more vivid than the colors in the foreground, in order to complete the visual balance of the work, and also to catch the eye of the viewer and pull it into the depths of the painting.
My subjects:
When I select a scene to paint, I intentionally try to ignore the subject content. Instead, I select what I will paint because the components of that locale will work aesthetically in an exciting composition. After that, I try to select subjects that suggest a distinctive mood that is representative of that particular location; I try to give the observer a sense of place (though I try to avoid using obvious landmarks). Another characteristic of many of my works is that they combine a hodgepodge of seemingly unrelated, contrasting subject elements that blend together into a surprisingly unified whole.
Similarly to my not focusing on the subject of my painting, I also try to avoid a conscious selection of my subject matter that will intentionally direct the viewer with an overtly political, social, or philosophical message. I find such calculated depiction of the artist's viewpoint to be limiting (and at times, even preachy). Intentionally directing viewer in this way risks trivializing more profound subliminal personal reaction and meaning that each person may discern in his or her own way.
Yet, even though I attempt to avoid painting in a way that explicitly articulates a specific viewpoint, I must admit that I do find that my work does automatically tend to project certain themes. I find that these themes are all the more interesting, powerful, and universal because of the fact that they have evolved unconsciously and unintentionally. One recurrent theme that I often happen to find in my work is that of the dynamics of change with the passage of time. Another theme is the complexity of the urban environment and the islands of humanity in these urban settings; likewise, my town or rural scenes, show readily identifiable signs of humanity, even if people are not readily seen. Finally, I find that much of my work--that of United States cities and towns--celebrates the combining of visual diversity with visual harmony in a way that is uniquely American.
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