The NYTimes has a great article by Dorothy Spears on the work of Rackstraw Downes, a painter of landscapes and NYC streets. Downes works on location, his paintings are intricate, and have a delicate nature even though the subjects tend towards the industrial environments and desert wastelands. He incorporates a lot of detail in the work and spends much time on direct observation. A key feature is his use of optical distortion – rarely using straight lines but having horizontal elements sweep and bow across the canvas in a way that is somehow more true to life.

As an artist it’s interesting to see the work of someone who shares interests and to see the way similar subjects can be depicted in a completely different manner. Our work has only the most superficial commonalities – mainly that we both paint landscapes. However, there is a deeper link in that we both construct environments out of paint. In a way this basic truth connects all painters.

Whether painting abstractly or using representational images there are certain truths that need to be confronted when painting on a canvas. Matters of color, composition, and the means of directing the viewer’s eye all come into play. The types of marks used on canvas, scale, and depth of field (or not). These are the tools that unite us. With common subjects come even deeper connections: the use of perspective and atmospheric distortions, the portrayal of space and built forms.

So while there are obvious connections and differences in our work, it’s always interesting to see the approach of another artist. However, I don’t think I’ll be setting up my easel on the side of the BQE anytime soon.