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MrcsAEL CHapMAN
NY 10013
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epresentational painter Michael Fl J{ cnro*an's urban scenes carry l\*i,hin them all the elements of a traditional city scene-architecture, cars, trains, people and expanding
horizons. However, they are anything but traditional paintings.
"I wouldnt call myself a redist I dont paint realistic things," says Chapman. "I take things and orgatizr because
them compositionally to achieve some r)?e of harmony, like a still life painter would arrange
fruit or flowers. Mywork
is arranged
compositionally, and I rarely find any'thing in nature and paint it how I see it." In fact, Chapmant newest works are homages to Bay Area artist Richard Diebenkorn. While Diebenkorn painted in both an abstract and representational
sryle,
it is
actually his more abstract
paintings that served as inspiration for Chapmant new paintings, especially ones like Ocean Park Visit #l and #2. "He lived in Ocean Park and did an Ocean Park series," says Chapman. "I love the abstract quality in his work, so I thought I could take out those qualities and use them as inspiration for my work.
Things like windows, building fagades, cars, patterns of light and shadows, street
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The Gallery Says . .
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"With his own unique language, Michael Chapman interprets the world arounci him. His themes are thoroughly modern, addressing the perception of reality and its mutability. The parallels between his work and that of Edward Hopper are striking: geometric motifs, suggested narratives, and interiors with views through a windowi' Steue Diamant, Ou.,ner, Arcadia Gallery
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lights, and parking meters are all shapes and forms that I love, and I like to put them into a composition much like an
"This painting is from the view of an interior scene but it isnt one," says Chapman. "It is a street scene. Another
abstract painter would just paint forms and shapes." Ocean Parle Visit #1 is a view of a red vintage car seen through a window that is broken up by geometric patterns created by panes of various shapes and sizes. The overall look is that ofan abstract painting.
important aspect of my work that can be seen in this painting is scale. I work out everything in my drawings and figure how close to put the different objects and a proper juxtaposition for everything." \X4rile Chapman prefers vintage cars, trains and architecture, the latest buildings to
in his paintings are inspired by Paul Strand's photographs of \Wall Street in New appear
York. For these new works, he isnt mining the past for any real nostalgic reasons. "I've never really been into nostalgia," says Chapman. "I guess I like the forms and shapes of these objects and iike to render the roundness ofthe cars and trains." Also important to Chapman is that these objects from the past are still readily
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in today's world. The buildings are still standing ar.rd the automobiles, available
though vintage norv, he still
sees
driving
,u'ourrd Sc,uthcrn C.rl i [orn ia.
"The cars, I photograph on
the
street, and they are definitely still around," sa,vs Chapman. "They are not actually thir-rgs rhat arent here anymore because I photograph the things I see now. Except
for rhe olcl trains, of course.'fl-rey arc gone." Collectors arc also drawn to (ihapmant beach sccnes, rvhich are known lor their br-ight blue skies, expanding
hori.zon Iine and subtle elernents of Califbrnia beach culture. "'l-he,v, too, are broken up
and forms and what
into shapes
I like to do is have
a thir-r lir-re ol l'rorizon and water matched rvjth the curvc of the sidewalks so it just brcaks evervthing into horizontal and
r.ertical lines," says Chapman. 'Also, you get the rvor-rderful shapes of things like the slide. rvl'rich is metal and shimmers in the sur-r like the shirlmer of the water." This is rvhy the coast appeals to Chapman and why he always rcturns to paint it. "The coast is a nice place to paint because you gct these long flat beaches," says
Chapn-ran. "There are no waves crashing on the beach. that's not what I'm into. The Caiifornia coast is a big part of n-ry impetus to paint. I'm attracted to tht: purity ofit all, ar-rd it enables me to do cor-npositions that are minimalistic and geometric." For a tlitect /ink to the
exhibitirtg gallery go to .A
I)rice Range Indicator Aur at-d-glance Price Range Indicator shous what 1ou can expect to pa1 for this artist's t7ork.
2009
Small
Medium
large
$9,000-510,000
$15,000
524,000