Zimo “Isaac” Bian-Passage to the Peak

Student Name: Zimo “Isaac” Bian

Title: Passage to the Peak

Work type: Oil on Canvas

Category: Fine Art

Size: 16x20

When he created this piece, the interest was in the dynamics between massive, man-made structures and the power of the natural world. According to Isaac; “I wanted to capture a space that felt ancient and out of place, abandoned yet full of life. In the foreground, I used thick, broad strokes and harsh lighting that caught the edges of the steps and weathered surfaces while casting deep shadows on the decaying structure. In direct contrast, the background opens up to a wild untamed landscape. The distant mountain is the focal point, a silhouette against a dynamic sky. I wanted this natural world to feel like a destination beyond the confines of the foreground. Ultimately, this painting is about the perspective of standing in the shadow of one world while looking out onto the vastness of another.”

The artwork plays off the viewers point of view and perspective. The spatial abstraction with the shapes of buildings, shadows and paths organize the composition with purpose. Though this picture does not give the actual work justice, the painting feels illusionistic due to the application of paint as the artist here is very aware of. The medium itself can also function as a way to create another element that's cautious of a psychological reception and movement that can feel flat and perceive depth at the same time. The colors embrace the viewer with hues of cools and warm pallet that resonates a moment in time that comforts the viewer in a desolate landscape. While standing in front of the picture the scale and intimate experience is both a challenge to digital art and a way to contemplate “space”. Knowing Isaac, he does embrace technology and has vast experience in digital arts yet experiments the visceral and textural capacity to “feel” with these elements.

（By Omar Gallegos）