Charles Munch

"My goal is to put in enough description so most people can recognize what the thing is, then stop right there and put my energy into making it come alive in an abstract way. "

Charles Munch's simple lines convey profound mysteries, drawing us into metaphysical speculations on the connections between nature and humanity. Reminding us of those connections, reviving them, is one of his major artistic goals.

To do so, Munch has developed his own artistic language: symbols that point to meaning and can be manipulated like letters. If these oil paintings remind you of old woodcut typefaces, that is not entirely coincidental. Teasing new meanings out of the supposedly familiar is one of his specialties—he is always searching for the meaning of the word "semi-abstract."

Charles Munch studied art at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He later became an art conservator, working first for the Frick Collection in New York City and later in his own shop in Door County, Wisconsin. After years of spending half his days restoring and half painting, he now focuses solely on his own paintings. He lives and works in Wisconsin's Driftless region, surrounded by wildlife and landscapes that provide endless inspiration.

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