“….art is the privileged space of contemplation, and as such, a reprieve and sanctuary from the barbarism of the world…” art critic, Donald Kuspit

Marc Ross’ paintings are luminous, atmospheric illusions engaging a dialogue between patient viewers and the subtle layers of color and texture that radiate from the surface of his canvases. Ross wants his artwork to serve as a contemplative respite for those who can deeply focus and lose themselves in thought and time.

Each work, composed of acrylic and colored pencil, begins in density. Ross patiently builds the surface, accumulating layer upon layer until the fields of color hold a palpable physicality. Through sanding, he moves into a second phase of the process which transforms compression into atmosphere. Light is drawn forward from within the surface itself, emerging as an internal radiance.

With sustained observation, another structure reveals itself. Graphite and colored pencil mark surface as intricate systems of line. They read like encoded sequences, a chromatic language embedded in the strata of paint. What first registers as unified color, unfolds into an intense chorus of linear movement.

Ross’ surfaces contain both expanse and precision as he accentuates method and sequence by lapping each application of paint over the sides of the canvas leaving a visual memory map affirming the surface’s illusion.

In their devotion to color, line, and material process, his works return painting to its most essential concerns. They feel alive and spiritually aware, grounded in the universal experience of light and perception.