Christian McLeod

Canadian Abstract Artist

Discover the paintings of abstract artist Christian McLeod.

 

“My work explores the dynamic relationship between the vast and the minute, how landscapes, when viewed from a great distance, merge into a single, unified form. I capture the tension between perceiving these environments as organic wholes and recognizing the individual elements that make them up: harbours, rivers, horizons, foliage and architecture. I aim to reveal the interconnectedness of the world we inhabit.”

 

 

 Particle Abstractions | Aerial Abstractions | Foliage Abstractions

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To create something beautiful or powerful or important out of nothing… this inspires me.

- 1968 Magazine (interview)

There is perhaps something Utopian in my work, but I seek to excavate our recent history to find a way forward, rather than imposing the fetish of the new.

- Artist's Statement (Valencia Architecture Conference)

The roots of McLeod’s impulse to paint digs deep into the soil.

- Steve Rockwell

Colour itself comes to the fore, along with something I refer to as, for want of better term, “nature,” both unimpeded by a quest for meaning or prophecies of impending catastrophe.

- Martin Mills

McLeod brings a new energy to abstraction, drawing on and mixing a range of sources like the internet, raw environmental and experiential phenomena, digital screen imaging and video for his art.

- John K. Grande

An uncanny ability to place highlights or textured streaks of colour in a way that both teases the eye, moving it around the canvas, and (often) signals a more representational element in his work…

- Craig Scott

He clearly finds delight in the rapturous, convulsive nature of untrammeled paint-handling, losing himself in its irrational joys…

- Gary Michael Dault

Artist Statement

I grew up in both the country and the city, and I have witnessed massive transformations in both environments. The beauty of foliage, harbours, and horizons has always fascinated me. In my art, I aim to capture the constant changes brought about by people, plants, and ideas, rather than specific places and times. I strive to show the city within the broader context of nature, as most cities have been built near water, surrounded by farmland, or in strategic locations shaped by nature. My work may have a Utopian quality, but I’m interested in uncovering our recent history to find a path forward.

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