Michael Bartmann ~ Shifting Planes: works inspired by the Stehli Silk Mill

These paintings were inspired by the Stehli Silk Mill in its abandoned state. I think of the buildings as being “at rest” and in an in-between state.

I put particular focus on the windows – a thin transparent plane that both separates and connects the internal and external world.

There are times when the viewer is right up against the window, and the outside world comes pouring inward while the viewer is pulled outward into the landscape. At other times the painting pulls back the space revealing the light coming in from the outside and bathing the space with natural light creating a new space with silhouette and shadow. The viewer is standing observing the interaction of the external and internal. Other times the windows have been laid to rest on the floor creating another opening and dimension. All of these elements become a place for contemplation.

– Michael Bartmann