Composition in Gray by Peter Baczek

The relationship between artist and viewer can be strengthened, in many cases, by recognizable imagery. There is a point, though, where the viewer may lose touch with the artist’s intent. By taking the commonplace and bringing it into focus, I have created a new perspective for the viewer with these vignettes of urban scenes, which can be shared. There is a hidden world behind those doors and windows that attracts me: a feeling of something beyond the mere depiction of detail and texture that is the backbone of my work. There is not just an obvious reality, but an implied inner world. It is a hope that this world does not elude the viewer. By rendering ordinary, often overlooked images, and inviting the viewer to see the often ignored as new, I distill the subject and transform the mundane into a new impression. I interpret visual images seen as ordinary on a daily basis and re-purpose them into a new context of virtual isolation, allowing the viewer to rethink what is commonplace and what is seen as unique. Throughout our lives we modify our living and working space to fit our needs. We are constantly surrounded by an ever-changing landscape of mood and color that I hope to capture. These urban landscapes have always been a part of my vision. I choose to depict cityscapes through a more refined interpretation of the composition before me. The broad mass of walls, roads, and sky establish areas of color and light that can create a certain mood, and act as compositional components in the overall work of art. By expanding my use of shadows, texture, and light, the finished works grow in both scope and spectrum to better realize that vision. My landscapes typically capture the essence of the urban environment by utilizing the endless tonalities available in printmaking. It is with these rendered impressions that I depict these vignettes through a more refined interpretation of the compositions before me. My use of shadows, texture, and color establish areas of movement and light that create a certain mood, and help the viewer understand my vision of the contemporary landscape.