Sebastien Fitch, Phd.

In these works I meld the direct, external nature of observation with the introspective qualities inherent in the act of viewing.

 

These paintings explore the nature of light and form, and the illusion of depth that is so central to the act of painting. The entrancing effect of the shadows, with their patterns and myriad subtle gradations of colour, slowly draw the viewer in and instill a sense of contemplation - as opposed to just observation.  

 

The two-dimensional nature of the shadows enhances the illusion of the central object on the picture plane while the viewer discovers more about the form of that object through its various shadows than through its single-point depiction on the canvas. At the same time, this impression is altogether skewed as the shadows are pulled and stretched out of form by the angles of the surrounding lights. It is this "shadow-play" rather than the object from which the shadows stem that is the true subject of these pieces.