Iain MacLellan, O.S.B. MFA
Artist Statement

My Work as an artist concerned almost exclusively with the human figure. Inspired for by the great figurative artists of the Western tradition, particularly in the Italian Renaissance, I have sought to master their techniques and incorporate the principles of the classic ideals. While there are many contemporary figurative artists I admire greatly, the masters I have found most influential are Raphael, del Sarto, Velazquez, Degas, and Whistler.

The human structure and for present an elusive and sublime beauty which can be captured only by the discipline of looking. Paradoxically, it is by this very discipline that one is liberated to express more freely. Only then does the simple economy of line or subtle tonality and color become well appointed and exact. Suddenly, the outward expression of form reveals a deeper, inward reality. The body reveals a certain presence, a spirit and a soul. To borrow a phrase, "they speak by silences." This is the marvel of creating images that live.

Presently, my goal is the attainment of one thing: utter simplicity. By simplicity, I mean a certain confluence of considerations, whereby all the formal aspects flow together to become integrated. In this way, the image is not dominated by any one aspect or complicated meaning. Rather, the image is attractive and even consoling by its clarity. The viewer may appreciate the image by what is immediately apparent, and upon returning to it, may discover more. In the end, art is meant for others to see. My work is meant to be a shared vision of persons and the world in which we live.

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