By structuring my creative practice around forms of repetition, I see a possibility for cultivating habits of curiosity and inquiry, habits that value nuance and depth as much as novelty. I can work on the deeper domains of relating to a place, to the creative practice, and to myself. My questions become more interesting, and the possibilities seem greater the more I do this. And that’s a valuable thing within my work as an artist.

(Jivan Lee)

In his latest body of work, Uplift, Jivan Lee explores the New Mexico skies over the course of the Monsoon season; dramatic summer storms bringing daily showers and thunderstorms that transform the landscape. Uplift is a double entendre. Speaking partially to the atmospheric dynamics at play but also to the power that the landscape holds to uplift us; to bring us to greater feeling and connection; to remind us of the vast dynamism that is our living breathing Earth- and to help us be moved to states of awe and even gratitude. “For me the West is a profoundly humbling and awe-inspiring place. There is an immediately apparent sense of scale and power that few places conjure like the American West. I go out painting and I’m working within places that are so much larger than me, so much older, bigger in every way. It’s hard not to be moved by this. My sense of my place in time and history is set against the backdrop of Nature’s seemingly infinite unfolding.”, says Lee.

While known for his richly textured landscapes, this classification only skims the surface of his genre. “You could say that I chose landscape as a “subject” because I like being outside and because I’m interested in the artistic process as it relates to universal human experiences. The landscape is perhaps the most universal human experience, transcending all boundaries, times, cultures, and economic or political strata. In this light, it makes sense to paint in it and make work about it. What I’m conveying isn’t a place, it’s an experience translated into colors, gestures, shapes, and rhythms.”, the artist says.