About Stephen
Spartana creates abstractions or surreal landscapes, where his subjects appear and then fade through spatial dimensions. The viewer is guided on a visual journey through the familiar into unfamiliar environments, layered like scrims of fabric, seamlessly transitioning between organic and inorganic elements. Similar to a dream, the work’s shifting perspectives represented by fluid environmental elements, suggests life’s shifting realities and constant change. His current research utilizes a… more
Walking in Spaces
On a trip to Rome while sitting on a hill overlooking the Colosseum I began to contemplate the people who had walked on the ground below throughout history. It would read like the who's who of Roman History. This led me to consider the passage of time and the idea of footprints in time and space. Everywhere you travel has a long history, hidden by time. It’s fascinating to think about how the past has shaped the present and how our actions today will shape the future.
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Portal to....jpg
Connection between the past and present.
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Lemoncello.jpg
Pathway through space
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Negative Space.jpg
Where we once where.
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Kaleidoscope.jpg
Colorful fantasy.
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Blooming_0.jpg
The colors of spring present and every spring that came before.
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Thinking in the Box.jpg
Thinking in the box and out of the box.
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Shadows in Time.jpg
Walking through a constantly changing world.
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Contemplation.jpg
Being young in today's world if quite a slog.
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Moonrise.jpg
Walking through a scene like actors without knowing it.
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Continuum.jpg
Our world is ever changing, we become shadows of the past.
Life in Layers
Photographs are like snowflakes, no two are the same, every moment in time ushers in change from the micro to the macro level. The are each unique in both time and space. Current research utilizes a number of images which function in the same way that painters use brushes and paint palettes; but my paints are moments of time captured through photography, the tools are a combination of various analog films mixed with digital media.
I extends his research of the interplay between form, texture and light in his new series, “Human-Nature, Life in Layers”. These dream-like landscapes are layered and edited combinations of figurative, floral and mineral elements. Similar to a dream, the work suggests the ephemeral quality of life, the passage of time and the uncertainty of the future.
Researching different perspectives of the natural world, venturing at times to create images that are more fantasy then reality, Stephen Spartana’s Human-Nature, Life in Layers is a selection of images that celebrate the intimate connection of humans with the earth. My work utilizes a number of images which function in the same way that painters use brushes and paint palettes; his tools are a combination of various analog films mixed with digital and paint media. The intention is to create a provocative image through layered complex compositions that blend details of shapes, shadow/light and color, coaxing the viewer to look deeper and celebrate further the bond we have with all of nature.
I chooses to focus on the hidden beauty that surrounds us, encouraging the viewer to preserve our beautiful and fragile planet and “discover what time hides forever in plain sight”. *
*Richard Powers, The Overstory
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Caress of Maples.jpgFrom the series "Life in Layers" with nature as a function of time and space layered with figurative images as the gatekeeper to the health of the environment.
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IMG_7490 Through Time.jpgIn dreams we float on a path provided by our own experiences.
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Heart of the Rose .jpgNewest series that integrates Nature, figures and acrylic masks to create a fantasy landscape.
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At Rest.jpgBalancing life with thoughts of the natural world.
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Flow of Nature.jpgFrom the series "Life in Layers" with nature as a function of time and space layered with figurative images as the gatekeeper to the health of the environment.
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Water Balance.jpgSeries that integrates Nature, figures and acrylic masks to create a fantasy landscape.
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Anima.jpgWe all live with nature, at times when we rest, we are one.
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Life, Birth.jpgNewest series that integrates Nature, figures and acrylic masks to create a fantasy landscape.
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Drifting Through Time.jpgFrom the series "Life in Layers" with nature as a function of time and space layered with figurative images as the gatekeeper to the health of the environment.
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In the Canopy, Reflections from Below.jpgFrom the series "Life in Layers" with nature as a function of time and space layered with figurative images as the gatekeeper to the health of the environment.
Intertwined
My artwork is an extension of views of nature, humanity and our relationship to Earth. I believes strongly in a positive approach to life and our world, with the understanding that we, as stewards, have the responsibility of providing a better place for the next generation to thrive. I focus on the beauty that surrounds us, encouraging the viewer to preserve our beautiful and fragile planet. The images are achieved by combining analog infra-red B&W images with digital shots made with Nikon D5.
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Inter-twined.jpgThe layering of a figure with the profile of a lilly, the image in which the series is based upon.
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Iris Enclosed.jpgLayered image using analog infra-red B&W with digital nature images.
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Sleeping on Rock.jpgLayered image using B&W infra-red analog film and digital nature images.
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Orchid Within.jpgHuman figure as a vehicle for a blooming orchid.
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Venice Ghost.jpgLayered image using B&W infra-red analog film and digital nature images.
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Statue.jpgLayered image using B&W infra-red analog film and digital nature images.
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Imbedded Orange.jpgLayered images of figures and nature, in this case flowers and stone are used to create textures.
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In Pieces.jpgLayered figure with rock and flower textures as a metaphor for time and space.
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Reaching Out.jpgFlower layered with a figure in a dream like setting.
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Stones.jpgBlending of a figure in the stones along the water. The layering of form fitting like pieces of a puzzle.
Interwoven
Spartana says they are “like the strata of memories. The mirrored surface of water reflects skylight into a hidden hollow, revealing something new, yet familiar. The patterns of leaves or sedimentary rocks naturally suggest intricate tattoos. These compositional layers of elements give the viewer reason to look closer, to see beneath the surface. The interplay between the human form, organic elements, and the landscape create incredible beauty for me, as they are intertwined on earth, coexisting as one. We are of the earth, and how we treat our environment affects all of us.”
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Leaves in Fall.jpgSeries is about nature, textures and the transition through time. The human element is man's influence on nature.
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Seasons Change.jpgMulti-layered image that combines both digital and analog images printed on bamboo paper.
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Rooted.jpgMulti-layered image that combines both digital and analog images printed on bamboo paper.
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In Blue.jpgMulti-layered image that combines both digital and analog images printed on bamboo paper.
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Redwood.jpgMulti-layered image that combines both digital and analog images printed on bamboo paper.
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Water Dream.jpgLonely figure layered with beautiful reflections of fall trees on the surface of the water, almost as if they are pieces of fabric.
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Spinal Drip .jpgThe beautiful layering of seasons within a human figure, using an icicle as structure of the human form.
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Hug.jpgSeries is about nature, textures and the transition through time. This image also shows unity and love.
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Fall Transitions.jpgSeries is about nature, textures and the transition through time. Timeless qualities to the seasons despite mans interference.
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Moss .jpgSeries is about nature, textures and the transition through time.
Human Nature
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Surrounded.jpgSoft blend of an form , hands sweeping the body encased in the flow of a petal.
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Petel Wear.jpgLayered flower petal and human figure combined on analog media, so Georgia O'Keefe
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With Wings.jpgAnother of my analog images that layer flowers and figures that are a tribute to Georgia O'Keefe.
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Iris.jpgMarry a photo of an Iris with a human torso done with B&W film and polaroid color film.
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Pirouette.jpgPlay of shapes and textures caused by using color polaroid film and infra-red B&W film.
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Hug1.jpgC flower petal close-up forms the backdrop to a woman in a man's embrace.
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Stillness.jpgBody floating as if in deep dream floating through space and time.
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Flight.jpgAnother in a series of human figures blending with tight flower photographs.