Thomas Carlson

These paintings emanate from a sense of remembrance of a landscape or a specific event that with time have become hallowed places in my memory. My paintings often begin from a single color or form. Movement, fragmentation, and physicality, all coalesce to create a sense of wholeness in the finished piece that is reflective of my memory. Reducing the landscape to a transcending image resonates deep within my methodology of painting.

Within the layers of each piece are expressions of movement and implications of elements that I find in nature. Our connection to the land is undeniable, and by reducing and simplifying the landscape I feel that I can present a different perspective of its power and mystique.


Mezquita Paintings

The Mezquita paintings came from my reflections of the Cathedral Mosque in Cordoba, Spain. Walking through this cavernous space I was taken back by its history and preservation of opposing cultures. The first structure was constructed in Roman times as a temple. It was subsequently transformed into a Visigoth church, then a Mosque. Over time, it developed into the second largest mosque in the Muslim world and a pilgrimage sight. Lastly, during the Reconquest it became a church - finally converted to a large Cathedral. Each subsequent addition preserved the previous structures and with that created a site that is sacred to many.

The architecture and history contrasting with the sparse but dramatic colors inspired me to create these paintings.