Artist Spotlight: Seth Armstrong

This week we take a look at the works of Los Angeles-based artist Seth Armstrong.

The evening sun descends upon Los Angeles, bathing the saturated blue and green hills with light. It is this fusion of hyperrealism and dreamlike aesthetics that make Seth Armstrong’s work so mesmerising.

Having studied painting in the Netherlands and at San Francisco’s California College of the Arts, Armstrong seamlessly incorporates influences from Dutch Renaissance masters and the California plein-air movement into his work. Whether it’s the soft glow of urban streetlights casting long shadows or the warmth of sunlight filtering through curtains, Armstrong’s careful use of light and colour invites viewers to explore his world.

The scenes are seemingly ordinary, yet imbued with a sense of mystery and allure. With no people to be seen — lights inside of houses are the only signs announcing their presence — we are not aware of the lives of people but can only guess. Instead, the focus lies on the portrayal of landscapes transitioning from dawn to dusk, manifesting in the artist’s recognisable blue, green, orange, and purple hues.

Through his careful handling of oil paint and approach to light and dimension, Armstrong captures details and intimacy among a larger narrative. He depicts transient moments within a densely populated landscape, juxtaposing the ephemeral nature of passing time against the multitude of lives within Los Angeles.

Seth Armstrong: “Sometimes I rely heavily on a drawing to compose a painting, and sometimes I’ll jump straight into the wet stuff.”