Ryan Stoneberger

Artist Statement: My work centers on the depiction of landscapes, primarily natural environments while also engaging with urban spaces. Landscape has been a persistent subject of art throughout history and I am particularly drawn to Sublime and Impressionist approaches, incorporating both the overwhelming and unrestrained power of nature with the visual impact of softer tones. The contrast of these styles of depiction and how they draw a viewer to their own interpretations are what drives me to focus on landscape imagery.

My interest in art is rooted in personal experience. Growing up, my father frequently exposed my brother and me to camping and hiking trips where I developed an appreciation for natural environments. These experiences remain central to my work and my focus on landscapes has become a way to stay connected to those memories following my father’s passing.

My primary focus is relief printmaking. I work from photographs that I have taken myself or that I use with permission from others. I am particularly drawn to images that convey a sense of the sublime through their scale or to ones that capture beauty and calmness. I then digitally flip the image before carving so that the final print matches reference. Rather than practicing multicolor wood block printing I prefer to practice a single black linoleum block print. Using the lines created by my tools to separate spaces and components within the piece, I leverage different carving patterns and methods to best suit the depiction of the overall composition. These techniques allow me to differentiate between sky, clouds, grass, rock, and other elements. I am constantly experimenting with and practicing different carving patterns and methods to represent the world around me.