Why do we adhere to conventional pictorial representations when our perception often defies such norms? This question, as a landscape painter, leads me to re-examine the traditional organization of space in Western landscapes.

I begin with plein air studies, which are then brought into the studio to inform larger, more complicated works. Our experience of the world is far from the static, singular, or even multi-point perspective typically depicted in painting. Instead, our perception is dynamic and often fragmented: Our heads are constantly moving, our minds filled with thoughts, memories, and emotions. We glance away and details are lost.

I repeat horizon lines, construct compositions using multiple geographies, and paint from memory. I use “blinks” (black shapes) and “afterimages” (blocks of flat color). Shapes and forms are patterned and layered in symmetries that often unravel, leading to a flattening of space; memories and anticipations seamlessly fold into the present moment. These paintings aim to explore the cognitive illusions inherent in our vision, recognizing that our perception of continuity is often an illusion in itself.