Richard Keen simplifies the world and his subjects into their most basic forms: line, shape, color, and texture. The primary factor in his art is the merger between abstraction and realism. Keen’s Form Singularity series is rooted in a minimalist, reductive approach to painting. His imagery is ocean-based, with horizons and water, and contain many of the structural elements of boats – a rudder, an oar, the hull of a ship. In choosing his subjects, Keen focuses on both natural and man-made surroundings for inspiration. Rooted in both the past and present, he considers the history of Maine when creating his paintings. While the works are meant to reference objects and scenes, by removing the details almost entirely Keen urges the viewer to step away and then get close in order to understand the work’s meaning.