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As an artist, I am committed to the furtherance of our great Western art and culture, where the goal is to re-achieve the glory of the past, without directly re-creating it. My interest spans different domains of music, painting, prints, engraving, sculpture, and architecture. At some point, I became truly engrossed with the idea of capturing nature within the 'frame' of human cognition, with the intention of creating a perfect harmonious integration of elements. This, I found, brings a unique sense of gratification and appreciation in the viewer, and more importantly, stirs the imagination. Perhaps not surprisingly, I have been strongly and indelibly influenced by traditional European principles, which can give the artist the means to create a highly individualistic and influential product.
I have always had a special appreciation of painting and printing, where the challenge is to effectively present the illusion of a three-dimensional scene in only two dimensions. I have studied and has been influenced by such artists as Allston, Anderson, Bagetti, Bashkirtseva, Beau, Bellini, Bellotto, Bierstadt, Boisselier, Boldini, Bosch, Ford Madox Brown, Burne-Jones, Cammarano, Canaletto, Cassett, Cassett, Chardin, Chernestov, Frederic Church, Walter Clark, Clausen, Cole, Constable, Cooper, Courbet, Cruickshank, Cuyp, Dadd, Danby, D'Azeglio, De Gubernatis, de la Tour, de Nittis, Drolling, Duncanson, Fortuny, Madrazo, Guigou, Harnett, Lawren Harris, Hassam, Hayez, Heade, Hobbema, Hodges, Homer, David Johnson, Kersting, Knight, Kroyer, Limbourg Brothers, John Martin, Master of Saint Giles, Monet, Musscher, Netscher, O'Keeffe, Onderdonk, O'Neil, Peto, Fleury Richard, Leo-Paul Robert, Theodore Robinson, Rousseau, Ruebens, Ruisdael, Sargent, Segers, Shintaro, Simon Saint-Jean, Starr, Thoma, Turner, Twachtman, van Eyck, van der Heyden, van Geel, van Guyen, van Ostade, van Ruysdael, Vroom, Vermeer, Voogd, Watts, Wiertz, Wilson, Wisinger-Florian, and Zuburan.
Living in New York City, I availed myself of the opportunity to see many well-known and not so well-known paintings first-hand at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This provided invaluable knowledge and inspiration, that helped me to shape my views on art.
It is not surprising that I became involved in photography at an early age, being fascinated by the ability of film to capture the highly detailed nuances of reality. I intensified this pursuit of this subject as time went on. I sensed that photography's full potential would only come when the image matter from the negative could be fully manipulated, and when the inherent limitations in film could be compensated for. Computer technology finally was able to achieve what had not been achievable before.
My own specialty, using these tools, is executing original complex fine art landscapes. I have diligently learned the craft, perfecting my skills. Hence, I have developed a unique process, where by utilising various computer tools, I am able to bring images to life, drawing out the grandeur, brilliance in the scenes. This work is not painting in the conventional sense, nor are they photographs, but something entirely new.
I have taken photographs in a variety of conditions and contexts, in England, Ireland, and France, as well as the Northeastern US. I have taken the greatest care to attain excellent composition, which I believe is of paramount importance for a high work of fine art. My landscapes often include prominent historically important, if little-known, landmarks which give weight and drama to the scene.
These are some of the ways in which I am bringing to realisation my vision of refinement and higher culture. I also intend to further the outstanding work of other artists as much as possible. Thus, I am looking to form a group of artists (painters, musicians, photographers, sculptors, architects, etc) who have the same dedication to Idealism: to create Great Enduring Art, who take the slow, methodical careful approach. They are not rushed to create merely mediocre work, that will be forgotten quickly, but to emulate the great masters, who made great work, over long periods, in order to contribute to Western Culture.
Paul Dennis Sporer
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