Mitchell Albala in his studio with studio assistant Zoe, in June 2008. In the background, "Veil Falls" from the Waterfall Series.

 

Kindred, 2008, oil on canvas, 30 " x 30"

 

Artist's Statement

I have always been fascinated by the abstract quality or "secondary" image that emerges when I look beneath the surface of a subject. For me, the formal elements of painting — form, shape, color, space, movement, and the paint itself — give the painting its greater meaning, not the literal subject itself. I am most satisfied when viewers are struck by a strong visual aesthetic before they recognize the subject or "surface story." Landscape is my chosen genre because its inherent abstraction makes it an ideal vehicle for me to explore these aesthetics.

In my most abstracted series, such as in the Waterfall or Yakutat Bay, Alaska paintings, I am less able to rely on the usual spatial cues that indicate space, like volume, overlapping forms, or strong value contrasts. Instead, I depend more on the movement suggested by the design, the relative “hardness” or “softness of the edges, and variations of paint texture, ranging from transparent to impasto.

Harmony is also a core instinct for me. If I don't believe — and feel — that all the colors of the painting are unified through a common color-light, then I will not consider the painting entirely successful. At first glance this unified color often appears to be achieved with analogous colors; yet, closer inspection reveals subtle temperature and hue shifts within the core color. These shifts add subtle variation to the color tapestry, as well as reinforce the suggestion of space.

Viewers often cite a serene or spiritual quality in the works. This is perhaps an unconscious aspect of my work, for I do not make a deliberate effort to build mood or “spirit” into the paintings. Rather, any sense of serenity that may be evoked is, I beleive, a perceptual response formed by the combination of atmospheric effects, a unified light, and simplified shapes.

In the realm of influences, I have always been drawn to the works of the Impressionists and the Spanish master Joaquim Sorolla, for the way they use a limited value range to infuse their paintings with a greater sense of light and color. I have also been inspired by the abstract sensibilities of painters like J.M.W. Turner, the post-impressionist Edouard Vuillard, American impressionist John Twactman, and abstract expressionist Mark Rothko.