“I want one, upon looking at my work, to leave with a feeling that they have been invited to venture into part of my inner world, understanding my desires, and learning what beauty means to me” - Marc Civitarese This artist's paintings, though based in the landscape tradition, are cerebral and visceral explorations of the relationship of “man” and “nature”, which depart from a pure realist depiction of the world and move towards a more expressive sensibility. By abstracting what he considers to be the elements of realism: shape, form, and light, his work then becomes and introspective exploration of feelings and thoughts of man, nature, and spirituality. Each painting is a memory, a reflection of observations of nature, which are reduced, distilled, and refined to the pure elements that engaged and provoked a response from the artist himself. The sense of spirituality is further enhanced in the new works by unsettled skies and atmosphere. By this introduction of a more “realist” sky, the work is pulled more into the here and now, more into a sense of a specific time and reflection. This moves the work from a more universal moment into one that is more solitary and personal, leaving the audience with a feeling that they have been invited to venture into part of his inner world, understanding his desires, and learning what beauty means to this particular artist.