Chase Langford (born 1960,
Pontiac, Michigan) is a Los Angeles–based American
contemporary painter
Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic co ...
known for his paintings, inspired by geography and maps.
Education
Langford's painting practice emerges from a lifelong fascination with the endlessly varied forms of the natural world. This fascination began during childhood, and grew rapidly; by his teens, Langford had gathered a personal collection of over 1000 atlases and maps. His cartographic impulse quickly carried over to his studies at the
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the ...
(UCSB) where he studied geography and cartography., and later to a job creating maps for faculty at
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...
. His artistic training was supplemented with his time with the Berkeley Art Cooperative, working in ceramics, as well as life drawing at the Brentwood Art Center in Los Angeles, California.
Career
After graduation he started working with the Geography department of UCLA as their staff cartographer.
Using his cartographic expertise he took geographic forms and filled the shapes in with colorful and expressive brushwork. These “map-paintings” were featured in the book ‘The Map as Art, Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography’. Langford gradually departed from using exact cartographic representation to fully
abstract
Abstract may refer to:
* ''Abstract'' (album), 1962 album by Joe Harriott
* Abstract of title a summary of the documents affecting title to parcel of land
* Abstract (law), a summary of a legal document
* Abstract (summary), in academic publishi ...
and
expressionist
Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
works aided by his skills in life drawing and ceramics. Langford started to sell his painting in his home and studio at invite only events. In 2011 he was contacted by
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
–based artist Amber George who invited him to take part in a group show she was curating at Susan Eley Fine Art. In 2014, Langford held his own solo show at Susan Eley Fine Art.
Work
Langford's work stacks brightly contrasting pigments, which recall sedimentary cross-sections as much as they do aerial views of rivers, valleys, and rock formations. Langford begins his canvases with impulsive mark-making, a technique that forms and gentles to a refinement of aesthetic in abstract, layered shapes.
His pieces are primarily oil paintings on canvas or wood panel, but also has some work on paper. Some include metallic paints containing bronze or aluminum.
Collections
Langford's work is in the collection of a few celebrities, hotels and museums, including:
*
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in th ...
*
The Saudi Royal Family
*
Paris Hotel Las Vegas
*
Caesars Palace Hotel Las Vegas
*
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Austin, Texas
*
Monique Lhuillier
Monique Lhuillier (born September 15, 1971) is a Filipino-French fashion designer and creative director known for her bridal, ready-to-wear and lifestyle brand. She launched her eponymous brand in 1996 and has since established fashion houses in ...
*
Pete Sampras
Petros "Pete" Sampras ( el, Πέτρος Σάμπρας; born August 12, 1971) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. His professional career began in 1988 and ended at the 2002 US Open, which he won, defeating longtime rival Andre ...
*
Four Seasons in Hong KongPark Hyatt Aviararef name=":3" />
*
The Long Beach Museum of Art
*
Nordstrom Stores
Galleries
Langford's work has been exhibited in many galleries, including:
* Eisenhauer Gallery, Edgartown, Massachusetts
*
Foster/White Gallery
The Foster/White Gallery is an art gallery in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. It was started as the Richard White Gallery in 1968 in the Pioneer Square neighborhood.
History
Richard White started the Richard White Gallery at 311½ O ...
in Seattle, Washington
* Susan Eley Fine Art, New York City
* Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, Charlotte, North Carolina
*
Coagula Curatorial ''Coagula Curatorial'' is a contemporary art gallery founded in April 2012 by Mat Gleason, Los Angeles art critic & curator. From 1992-2011, Gleason published Coagula Art Journal, a free zine-style publication on contemporary art, which gained noto ...
, Los Angeles, California
* Kirkland Art Center, Kirkland, Washington
Publications
His work has been featured in
Metropolitan Home
''Metropolitan Home'' is an interior design magazine published by Hearst Magazines. The magazine focuses on "high-end modern design and interiors, blended with intelligent reporting, to connect with a progressive reader mindset."
History and pr ...
, and
Huffington Post and Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine.
References
External links
Chase Langford websiteFilm by Eric Minh Swenson, “Chase Langford: Morphic Resonance”
{{DEFAULTSORT:Langford, Chase
1960 births
21st-century American painters
American abstract artists
American male painters
Living people
American modern painters