Brad Archambault - Oil Painter

Artist Statement

My physical surroundings are the inspiration for my ideas whether I am painting from observation or memory. The act of drawing and painting helps me understand why I respond to everyday objects. The process itself reveals what it is that draws me to a particular subject matter.

I consider my work to be a reflection of human interaction and self investigation. I am interested in specific moments that I encounter within my environment. I even find this trend within my paintings when the human figures are absent. For example, my still-life and interior paintings exemplify a specific moment where I try to capture a particular light and color scheme that represents a moment in time. I am always thinking about scenarios where an event is taking place, is about to take place, or has already taken place.

My recent paintings have lead me into a direction that has become more personal and specific. I have become more aware of the role that each character plays. The believability of each situation has become more important and I begin think more about the interactions, poses, and activities they reflect.

I prefer to work from perception. It is a responsive and intuitive approach that has helped me discover my own hand and the unexpected abstractions that exist in nature. I rely on my memory when I feel it is appropriate to look away from the subject. I take this approach only when I feel I have become stale and unable to see the painting in its entirety. I work from drawings and photographs when I am unable to work form the source.

Many of my decisions are aesthetical, and are the reason why I leave many forms obliterated, undefined, or even generic. If certain formal and artistic decisions are made but do not help the content of the painting, then I begin to reevaluate my decisions. I ask myself what is more important, the formal aspect of the painting or the narrative implication behind the painting? I often meditate over this question after I have completed a painting. The way I feel I am able to arrive at an answer is to assess what is positive and negative based upon my own personal expectations. I then take what I have learned and start a new painting.

How I complete a painting varies from piece to piece. My ideas usually begin by composing on the canvas with color as I try to recreate a compositional idea or situation that is visually appealing. At first ideas are clear and the composition certain, but inevitably things change as the painting progresses. In many circumstances the objects or subjects are in front of me. Models are placed and posed for extended periods of time, and if possible, I try to get all models together in the same space. Still-lifes and interiors are painted as they exist and I am dictated by what it is I see.

My process is a dialogue between myself and my surroundings. This dialogue is an attempt to discover who I am as a painter and how to use it to express my ideas. I strive for transcendence and hope to move forward from one painting or drawing to the next.