Micah Crandall-Bear
American, b. 1980
Micah Crandall-Bear's abstract landscape paintings examine the enigmatic dance between light and shadow in the natural world. Linear layers cascade from atmospheric to subterranean, mirroring the complexities of human experience. Panoramic details hint at daily and seasonal shifts in light, evoking a sense of evolution and balance.
His paintings are nuanced and compelling - Crandall-Bear builds layer upon layer of texture and color with a balance and refinement that is meditative and transfixing. While referencing a horizon line, sunset sky, or landscape/seascape, his paintings shine in their abstraction and ‘more-than’ color palette. While rooted in the natural world, Crandall-Bear is pushing the saturation and range of colors he can coax from his palette while still creating compositions that read as landscapes. The subtle tonal changes and mark-making unify these linear compositions. Intriguing from far away and intense upon close inspection, the paintings seem to glow with an internal light. Through the interplay of vibrant hues and muted tones, Crandall-Bear’s canvases are often an introspective reminder of the delicate balance between melancholy and joy.
Submitted by Billis Williams Gallery


