Stefan Lesueur
Land scape
CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW more instinctual level. I definitely see that I’ m pulling out whatever natural inclinations we have to recognize a landscape as a landscape. I mean, personally it’ s interesting to see that I not only have a natural tendency to play with these patterns, but I can easily get lost in them. I think the images are successful in that they play with our attraction to both natural and artificial stimuli. It’ s seems like a basic instinct that we are attracted to natural forms and patterns, and it’ s in that basis that we create enhancements, say with color, to appeal to that attraction more acutely. So, yes, I would say there’ s a bit of unlocking the subconscious in my work, and I would agree that this is part of the nature of being an artist. I certainly don’ t want to speak for all artists, but I do enjoy the idea that artists tap into our subconscious in a way that other means can’ t. It’ s quite simple to see the results: you see it in how people react to an image, a song, even how the brain imagines the narrative of a book. Artistic form provides a way to communicate that regular conversation cannot.
Over time I’ ve moved further from representation and towards abstraction. This is not unique. I find that many artists go along the same path. It’ s easier to pull off abstraction when you have a solid base in representational work. However, while I see how many artists will go for full abstraction, I enjoy using representation as kind of a hook with my work. Particularly when I’ m so concerned with space, I want to provide something for the spectator to latch onto in order to understand the abstract elements in the work. If I didn’ t do this, I admit, I may get lost myself. So, taking Landscapes for Richter, the work is obviously abstract. However, there are enough rigid edges in the work that keeps the patterns from getting out of hand. Something quite fun with the Richter works is that it points out how abstraction really stems from nature. As one of my friends put it, nature is just a series