‘Faces and Their Magic Realism’

Throughout Gerhard Richter’s artwork, he repeats a theme that resonates with me: he paints what one can’t see, what is not there. This concept, however beautiful, I feel is incomplete.

Science has proven that it is the transmittance of information from our senses to our cerebral cortices that create our subjective view of the world. For instance there is no physiological difference between experiencing reality or imagining that reality. And the ever-present philosophical question arises: what is reality?

Based on my feelings, intuitions, and thoughts, there is much more to existence that stretches beyond the realm of our senses. I believe every human embodies their own magical qualities, yet the ego blinds this magic from our eyes until we know one another on a more intimate level. Love permits the ability to see this magic.

In union with the magic is the realistic element to each portrait. I see nature’s forms as most beautiful, and as my hand contours each curve of the human face, I can more deeply explore this beauty beyond what the eye can pick up. Furthermore, I want to pull the viewer into the tangible and familiar quality of the human face, and once that is understood, they can better explore the subtle magical elements to each.

I have painted each with my own version of magic realism, yet I truly believe that the ‘magic’ part of this style is very much real. As I reflect on my portrait series, I contemplate a personalized reinterpretation of Richter’s theme to be: to paint what you can’t see, but is, in fact, there.