MARK RYAN CHARIKER

Arcadian visions of imagined forest scenes are suffused with mystical light, situating them beyond any recognisable time or place. Meandering paths lead the eye into the hidden depths of these landscapes, enticing and yet denying exploration of what may lie beyond the dense foliage. The American artist Mark Ryan Chariker approaches each painting, whether figurative or landscape, as “a reflection of psychological states of mind”. Using a subtle palette of ochre, umber and sienna, he creates lushly realised yet muted scenes in which environment and emotion become inseparable. The exact nature of these emotions, however, remains elusive. The teasing interplay between openness and impenetrability, revelation and concealment, denies the ease of snap judgements or definitive answers, instead asking the viewer to slow down, to ponder, to reassess.