2019
Chase Langford has invented a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions recall maps and aerial photography of sea coasts, mountains, farmland and cities through a calculated execution and highly refined draftsmanship.
Just as the West Coast Abstract Expressionists (1940–70) found California’s striking landscape fertile ground, so does Langford as he draws upon his geographic environs both near and far. Through his cartographic mastery, Langford contorts and synthesizes geographic elements, bringing forth paintings that are mysteriously familiar yet surprisingly unconventional. They challenge conventions of geography and landscapes, offering invigorating visions of space and place that transcend any specific locale, leading us to an exhilarating emotional experience.
Born in Pontiac, Michigan, Langford is a Los Angeles-based artist well known for his geographically inspired paintings. He studied cartography earning a BA from UC Santa Barbara in geography then worked as a cartographer at UCLA. Starting with his “Map Paintings,” Langford literally reinterpreted geography by taking selected features from maps and filled in the reconfigured shapes in a flurry of color and movement creating a fresh take on familiar geographic forms. This was followed with a series that moved even deeper into pure abstraction with his “Coldwater,” “Mulholland,” and “Scrape” series, which all lead to his “Morphic” series, now the core focus of his painting today.
Langford’s paintings have been widely shown at one-person and group exhibitions in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C., Montreal, Palo Alto, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Napa Valley, Seattle, and Palm Springs, and are included many corporate/public collections (often site-specific commissions) such as Long Beach Museum of Art, Keck School of Medicine at USC, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Star City in Sydney, Australia, and more. Langford’s work is held in private collections in North America, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia. It is also in the private collections of Magic Johnson and the Saudi royal family.
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Springfield
By Chase Langford
Located in Napa, CA
Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...
Oil
Chroma X68
By Chase Langford
Located in Napa, CA
Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location with carefully selected color and precise shapes. In the 1980’s, after studying cartography at UC Santa Barbara and drawing maps for the UCLA faculty, Langford began exploring ways to combine his mastery of map-making with his love of fine art. In his original map paintings, Langford reinterprets geography by taking selected features from maps and filling in the reconfigured shapes with flurries of color, exploring varied locations such as Essex, England and the Galapagos Islands. In his “Morphic” series, Langford once again finds inspiration in specific geographic regions, abstracting them until they are nearly unrecognizable with colors interweaving and flowing around each other. Almost seeming to mimic the fluid strata of the Earth, Langford adds and scrapes away layers of oil paint, building up intricate textures while simultaneously revealing the colors below. Langford’s highly-collected “Chroma” series began as a happy mistake. One day, displeased with the brushwork of a painting, he decided to obscure the image by painting small rows of vertical brushstrokes; in doing so, he took note of the beauty of organic uniformity. After years of refining his technique, Langford created the trance-like paintings that he likes to think of as rows of city blocks on a map. Langford has completed many site-specific commissions, including for Monique Lhuillier, Inc.; the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation; and Caesar’s Palace...
Canvas, Oil
Chroma X21
By Chase Langford
Located in Napa, CA
Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...
Canvas, Oil
Chroma X78
By Chase Langford
Located in Napa, CA
Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location with carefully selected color and precise shapes. In the 1980’s, after studying cartography at UC Santa Barbara and drawing maps for the UCLA faculty, Langford began exploring ways to combine his mastery of map-making with his love of fine art. In his original map paintings, Langford reinterprets geography by taking selected features from maps and filling in the reconfigured shapes with flurries of color, exploring varied locations such as Essex, England and the Galapagos Islands. In his “Morphic” series, Langford once again finds inspiration in specific geographic regions, abstracting them until they are nearly unrecognizable with colors interweaving and flowing around each other. Almost seeming to mimic the fluid strata of the Earth, Langford adds and scrapes away layers of oil paint, building up intricate textures while simultaneously revealing the colors below. Langford’s highly-collected “Chroma” series began as a happy mistake. One day, displeased with the brushwork of a painting, he decided to obscure the image by painting small rows of vertical brushstrokes; in doing so, he took note of the beauty of organic uniformity. After years of refining his technique, Langford created the trance-like paintings that he likes to think of as rows of city blocks on a map. Langford has completed many site-specific commissions, including for Monique Lhuillier, Inc.; the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation; and Caesar’s Palace...
Canvas, Oil
Del Mar 25
By Chase Langford
Located in Napa, CA
Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...
Canvas, Oil
Ruby Pass
By Chase Langford
Located in Napa, CA
Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled (Abstraction)
By Jack Roth
Located in Astoria, NY
Jack Roth (American, 1927-2004), Untitled, Acrylic on Canvas, 1975, dated and marked "JR-3858" verso with "Jack Roth Estate" stamp, unframed. 22" H x 34.75" W x 1" D. Provenance: T...
Canvas, Acrylic
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
the painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Canvas, Oil
What is a picture? I
By Pablo Lehmann
Located in Miami, FL
What is a picture? I, 2013 Paper Cut Out 48h x 32.30w in PL017 Pablo Lehmann was born in 1974 and currently lives and works in Buenos Aires. He has been the subject of solo and gro...
Paper
Untitled (Abstraction)
By Jack Roth
Located in Astoria, NY
Jack Roth (American, 1927-2004), Untitled, Acrylic on Canvas, 1976, signed and dated "Roth 76" verso with "Jack Roth Estate" stamp, unframed. 56" H x 56" W x 2" D. Provenance: The ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Untitled # 13
By A.J. Fries
Located in Buffalo, NY
A contemporary oil painting on linen by American artist A.J. Fries. Artist’s Statement: These works are an extension of a small series of realistic paintings that I did of graves...
Linen, Oil
Untitled
Located in Austin, TX
Oil on linen. Unsigned. 58.25 x 46.75 in. 59.75 x 48 in. (framed) Custom framed in a solid maple floater with a polyurethane clear coat finish. Provenance Estate of Gottfried Mair...
Canvas, Raw Linen, Oil
