Collection: Richard Lang Chandler

Mr. Chandler is powerfully drawn to both the art of cityscape and that of landscape. While his paintings remain rooted in literal reality, they also reveal unseen forces that are continuously exerting themselves against the fixed boundaries of observed forms. His buildings undulate, his skies and his sidewalks are wildly dappled, and his perspectives seem to head towards some extraordinary other-worldly denouement. Yet it all holds together in good order. Normal business is transacted without fuss or anxiety. The rhythms of nature continue to unfold in their timeless cycle. His figures, in fact, are not the least bit exercised by the cosmic forces electrifying their environments. Whether this arises out of wise enlightenment or typical human complacency is anybody’s guess and is part of the cunning humor of these paintings. A key message here: there is a relentless urgency to life whether or not one feels it. Mr. Chandler’s ability as an artist is to insure that one does, indeed, feel it. Yet – and this is part of the pleasure of his gift – he conveys this experience in a non-coercive, matter-of-fact way. His paintings overflow with color and are marked by an intense acuity. One is able to imbibe, as it were, the sounds and scents of his streets and country scenes as a visceral subtext of the visual experience. For a moment the veil is parted and the hidden vibrancy animating the world is revealed.

Mr. Chandler is married with three young daughters. He and his family live in a bucolic area of Westchester. He has a background in architecture from Cooper Union and painting from the Art Student’s league. Both institutions are in New York City, a city to which he remains greatly attached. He is a serious student of music having studied for ten years under the Principal Percussionist of the New York Philharmonic. As a college student, he began making animated films which led to the creation of a film for the American Symphony Orchestra. He also studied ancient typefaces and illuminated manuscripts in museums throughout Europe. Recently, he has been a guest lecturer on Performance Skills at the Juilliard School of Music. His rich and varied background wonderfully enhances and enlivens his artistic vision while providing well-springs of inspiration.