Chris Rayn developed his new style of abstract impressionism in the early 2020s as a continuation and culmination of his decade-and-half of art creation before. While sharing the thematic elements and many of the stylistic principles he developed for his previous art series (meticulous composition, bold colors, chiaroscuro etc.) his abstract impressionist works combine the natural realism of his early lens-based works with the abstraction of his experimental art projects from the 2010s, while translating the rich art historical canvas of abstract impressionism and expressionism into a new 21st century medium.
On this website and shop, Chris Rayn focuses solely on his new abstract impressionist works to differentiate them from his complex prior body of work and to promote their qualities for transforming spaces as wall art. As an art lover, you can join the artistic journey and brighten your walls with the spectacular visuals and deep meaning of the artworks in this new and unique artistic style.
Structure
To emphasize the novel aspects of his abstract impressionist works within his larger body of work and artistic journey, Chris Rayn has placed his abstract impressionist in a new cycle called “Reality of Nature”. This is a reversion of his experimental cycle “Nature of Reality” from the early 2010s, and emphasizes the closely shared thematic connection of the visual setting in the natural world and the exploration of the subjectiveness of perception, for which impressionism lends itself greatly, being focused on the mood, light and atmospheric effects of a scene rather than its objective representational documentation.
There are currently three ongoing art series contained in the cycle “Reality of Nature”, all of which share the same general thematic concepts and new abstract impressionist language Chris Rayn developed, while focusing on different aspects of the natural world and specific themes connected to them.
States of Spring uses tree blossoms and flower fields in spring to explore the connection and contradiction between the individual and greater society, using individual flowers and their superordinate structuring in blossoms and flower seas as a rich visual allegory. Specific themes of individual works drawing from the springtime canvas include youth, rebirth and rejuvenation, but also the fleeting qualities of life (in blossoms).
States of Fall translates these principles into an autumn setting, providing thematic symmetry, contrasting individual leaves with larger treescapes of fall foliage. Drawing on a rich art historical background from Baroque Vanitas Still Lifes to Gothic Revival, these works focus on the finite nature of life and ephemeral state of things.
Waterworlds provides the necessary middle between spring and fall in using an aquatic flora setting to juxapose individual flowers struggling against larger fields of pads and leaves. This series has the strongest existentialist focus in highlighting the relationship between the self and the outside world.