Michael Chittock’s paintings are expressions of his fascination with human beings and our relationships with nature and each other. His works explore the ever-evolving connections that we have to our social contexts, and how these can produce the ideas we hold about ourselves. They call attention to the many possible reactions we have to visual stimuli in a variety of often emotionally-charged settings, and explore the complexities and fragility of human communication. Chittock focuses on individuals, situations from his extensive international travels, and the often edgy relationships between family members, friends, and lovers.
His artistic explorations have led him to produce works that present viewers with multifaceted moments that Chittock captures from aspects of our wonderful, awkward, convoluted, and sometimes unsettled public and private lives. He seamlessly integrates formal spaces, color relationships, and figures within compelling non-linear narratives. As opposed to serialized stories, these encourage voyeuristic viewpoints, as momentary glimpses into stories that we finish through the act of looking and interpreting, attempting to create meaning. His paintings come to life in surprising, even troubling ways, often within aesthetically harmonious color and formal interactions.