“Whistler’s ‘Nocturnes’ compel me: they are Late Nineteenth Century Abstractions at their best. When outside, I crave the security of an enclosed room. When inside, I feel stifled and yearn for the natural world. Interior / Exterior Series is the meditation examining this perpetual conflict. I continually utilize a variety of painting proportions to offset stability. By dissolving the picture plane, each viewer can enter the environments I render and find personal solutions. I contribute my work in the hope it inspires the artworld to evolve beyond the “us and them” mentality between Realism and Abstraction. Wayne Thiebaud writes:  ‘We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what painting can do.’ More than just examining light, I endeavor to create works of art which contain illuminated atmosphere so compelling one forgets one is viewing a painting at all. My years of Trompe L'oeil commissions sharpened this technique; I now focus upon doing something more contemporary; not abandoning- but advancing this meticulous tradition of fooling the eye. I feel very fortunate that, within my own lifetime, my work is acknowledged and comprehended by a wide variety of critics and collectors. This recognition provides me with the freedom to continue growing as an artist.” - Mark Venaglia