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Fl epresentational painter Michael

J{ cnro*an's urban scenes carryl\*i,hin them all the elements ofa traditional city scene-architecture,cars, trains, people and expanding

horizons. However, they are anythingbut traditional paintings.

"I wouldnt call myself a redist

because I dont paint realistic things," says

Chapman. "I take things and orgatizr

MrcsAEL CHapMAN

them compositionally to achieve some r)?e

of harmony, like a still life painter would

arrange fruit or flowers. Mywork is arranged

compositionally, and I rarely find any'thing

in nature and paint it how I see it."In fact, Chapmant newest works

are homages to Bay Area artist Richard

Diebenkorn. While Diebenkorn painted

in both an abstract and representational

sryle, it is actually his more abstract

paintings that served as inspiration forChapmant new paintings, especially ones

like Ocean Park Visit #l and #2."He lived in Ocean Park and did

an Ocean Park series," says Chapman."I love the abstract quality in his work, so

I thought I could take out those qualities

and use them as inspiration for my work.Things like windows, building fagades,

cars, patterns of light and shadows, street

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The Gallery Says . . ,

"With his own unique language, Michael Chapman interprets the world arounci him. His themes are

thoroughly modern, addressing the perception of reality and its mutability. The parallels between

his work and that of Edward Hopper are striking: geometric motifs, suggested narratives, and

interiors with views through a windowi'

- Steue Diamant, Ou.,ner, Arcadia Gallery

lights, and parking meters are all shapes

and forms that I love, and I like to putthem into a composition much like an

abstract painter would just paint forms

and shapes."

Ocean Parle Visit #1 is a view of a red

vintage car seen through a window that is

broken up by geometric patterns created

by panes of various shapes and sizes. Theoverall look is that ofan abstract painting.

"This painting is from the view of an

interior scene but it isnt one," says

Chapman. "It is a street scene. Anotherimportant aspect of my work that can be

seen in this painting is scale. I work outeverything in my drawings and figure

how close to put the different objects and

a proper juxtaposition for everything."

\X4rile Chapman prefers vintage cars,

trains and architecture, the latest buildings to

appear in his paintings are inspired by Paul

Strand's photographs of \Wall Street in New

York. For these new works, he isnt miningthe past for any real nostalgic reasons.

"I've never really been into nostalgia,"

says Chapman. "I guess I like the forms and

shapes of these objects and iike to render

the roundness ofthe cars and trains."

Also important to Chapman is that

these objects from the past are still readily

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available in today's world. The buildings

are still standing ar.rd the automobiles,though vintage norv, he still sees driving,u'ourrd Sc,uthcrn C.rl i [orn ia.

"The cars, I photograph on the

street, and they are definitely still around,"sa,vs Chapman. "They are not actually

thir-rgs rhat arent here anymore because

I photograph the things I see now. Except

for rhe olcl trains, of course.'fl-rey arc gone."

Collectors arc also drawn to(ihapmant beach sccnes, rvhich are knownlor their br-ight blue skies, expandinghori.zon Iine and subtle elernents ofCalifbrnia beach culture.

"'l-he,v, too, are broken up into shapes

and forms and what I like to do is have

a thir-r lir-re ol l'rorizon and water matchedrvjth the curvc of the sidewalks so it just

brcaks evervthing into horizontal and

r.ertical lines," says Chapman. 'Also, you

get the rvor-rderful shapes of things like the

slide. rvl'rich is metal and shimmers in the

sur-r like the shirlmer of the water."

This is rvhy the coast appeals toChapman and why he always rcturns topaint it.

"The coast is a nice place to paint

because you gct these long flat beaches," says

Chapn-ran. "There are no waves crashing

on the beach. that's not what I'm into. The

Caiifornia coast is a big part of n-ry impetus

to paint. I'm attracted to tht: purity ofit all,

ar-rd it enables me to do cor-npositions thatare minimalistic and geometric."

For a tlitect /ink to theexhibitirtg gallery go to .A

I)rice Range IndicatorAur at-d-glance Price Range Indicatorshous what 1ou can expect to pa1 for this

artist's t7ork.

Small

2009 $9,000-510,000

Medium large

$15,000 524,000