My paintings tangle with the tradition of landscape painting, imagined contexts, concerns about climate change, and the deep connections humans have with nature. I explore the uncertainty of our relationship with the natural world and, in dream-like depictions, examine the interplay between light and dark, night and day, and our desire to discover new ways of sensing, learning and being. The images are other-worldly but grounded in behaviours, gestures and relationships that enable connection.
Through layers of paint, oil and wax, the images take shape through the physical act of painting. An essential element of my practice is the exploration of formal elements that celebrate a deep engagement with medium. I draw upon images that nurture my practice, culled from personal photos, films, the internet, music and documentaries. In an approach that recalls collage, I source and juxtapose images of people and animals in natural environments sometimes seeking to understand, sometimes satisfied with just being there.
Stephen Pleban 2023
