- Portrait painting is nothing new. And yet, in the hands of Arizona-based artist Colin Chillag, this genre takes on novel properties.
- Colin’s portraits are a curious mix of hyper-realism and abstraction. Focusing on the head and upper-torso of an individual [for example], Chillag renders in incredible detail [via oil] every inch of the subject’s face...In a seeming incongruity, though, above and below this almost photographic depiction, lies blank space. The paintings are often left unfinished. Or, in some cases, they are painted over with paint splotches or other similar abstract details.
- Evidence of the artist’s hand abruptly breaks the illusion of realism in the middle of the canvas.
- Chillag wants viewers to be able to see his artistic procedure — the way in which he goes about understanding and recreating an image.
- He also demonstrates the illusionistic and personal nature of painting by assigning more detail to certain parts of his canvas than others...This mirrors the actual way we receive images.
See more of Colin Chillag's work here. Learn more about his work here and here.
