Stephen
Linhart

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P r e t t y   S h e l l s . . .

The mimetic tangle that is 21st century art is full of discoveries waiting to happen. Ever-increasing exposure to the art of many times and cultures leaves us surrounded by so many styles and techniques that it would be hard to accept any one dogma or system, any one answer to “What is Beauty?” or “What is Art?” The construction and manipulation of aesthetic systems is the great plastic medium of our time.
 
In the digital manipulation of fine art and photography, I’m exploring the relationship between collage, pop art and algorithmic art; a wilderness of possibilities. I process and combine images to create an image-space, which I explore and sample. It’s something like finding pretty shells on a beach, except that first I have to make the beach. I find a glimpse of something—a shell—then I compose and edit the image to capture that glimpse. Sometimes it works and I keep it. Sometimes it doesn’t and I start again.
 
Some of my works are inspired by myths and stories. For others, I use a more abstract method of pure exploration. Working by experimentation and serendipity helps me explore aesthetic systems more freely.
 
I’m currently working on several techniques, each of which is represented in this portfolio. I collage from extreme close-ups of flowers and of the human form. I digitally sketch photographs into pop-oriented vector art. And I also use art that I’ve ‘found’ in the works of great painters. It has been common in recent decades for prominent artists to ‘find’ material in the output of lesser-known artists and designers. I reverse that process.