My current work explores liminal (transitional) space and the experience of moving through, yet being outside of place and time. The physical subjects of my paintings: hallways, stairwells, gas stations and the like, act as tangible symbols of the psychological process of evolution and catharsis. I strive to capture the feeling of being on the threshold.

I aim to evoke a sense of nostalgia and the uncanny. To this end, I am careful in my treatment of light and shadow. Unnatural light in particular, such as the light from streetlamps and fluorescent bulbs and the peculiar atmosphere they create is of great interest to me.

My work is influenced by the early writings of Sigmund Freud, as well as the paintings of Edward Hopper and John Register. Whereas Hopper’s works often feature distant figures, creating a sense of voyeurism, I omit figures from my work in an attempt to create a sense of internality. I intend to force the viewer down from the third-person perspective to the first. The scale of my work and the square ratio of the work likewise are intended to force the eye.

There is nowhere to go, but forward.

You can see my work at

Orphic Gallery

Contact Rowan Love