Patrick K. Wise
Artist Statement
Painting the human form is a way for me to understand myself. Whether I am painting myself or someone else, I am interested in the moment. The story of human drama is told through tragedy and ecstasy, and the ability of life to transcend itself. Art makes it possible for me to move beyond the pictorial surface to glimpse a larger truth.
Through the manipulation of space and contrasting forms and color I am expressing a narrative that is both ambiguous and uncertain. When painting from life or painting from photo reference, I am interested in how moments are perceived when built over time in a painting or frozen instantly by photos.
Contemporary figure painting stands as a deep and meaningful expression amongst a fiercely moving digital age of images and information. I am revealing, for me, what it is to be in this moment.
