Ur III digital artwork from the Ur series, presenting a pre-formal suspended condition where compressed matter and restrained light resist landscape and place

Ur III

Ur III Digital Artwork : Refusing Place

Ur III Digital Artwork belongs to the Ur series, a body of digital works that explores states of matter prior to any identifiable geography. Before landscape, before orientation, before space becomes readable, Ur III holds a condition rather than depicting a place.

The green tones running through the image do not refer to forest or vegetation. They function as a temperature of matter — a slow chromatic contamination embedded within an undifferentiated mass. Colour operates here as density, not description.

Light does not act as a revelatory device. It compresses. It thickens the surface rather than opening space. Held deliberately at the threshold of legibility, it intensifies material pressure without producing narrative, horizon, or stable viewpoint.

Near the centre of the image, a barely perceptible oblique shift introduces latent tension. This is not a structure or a declared fracture, but an internal pressure — a fault in formation. Movement is suggested without resolution, imbalance without event.

Ur III does not depict a landscape or forces in action. The work remains in a pre-formal, suspended condition, where matter has not yet separated but is already under constraint. The image does not seek the gaze. It absorbs it.

This approach aligns with what I describe as a pedagogy of the gaze. Ur III resists quick interpretation and visual consumption. It asks the viewer to remain, to slow perception, and to read pressure, density, and restrained light as primary elements rather than symbols or scenes.

Within a space, Ur III is not conceived as a decorative image. It functions as a long-term presence — an anchoring element that gives weight to a place rather than filling a wall. The work settles into daily experience, remaining quietly active over time.

As part of the Ur series, Ur III does not narrate an origin. It remains within a condition where form has not yet stabilized and where geography has not yet emerged. What persists is suspension, density, and duration.

Ur III is available both through this site and on Singulart, allowing the work to circulate while remaining grounded in the conceptual framework of the Ur series.

For information about print availability and formats, please refer to the Unique Editions section of the site.



Ur III digital artwork — Derived Landscape emerging from the abstract Ur III, where compressed matter briefly forms spatial depth while resisting landscape and place
Ur III — Derived Landscape

Deriving a Landscape

With Ur III — Derived Landscape, a secondary state emerges from the abstract work. The objective is not to compose a landscape, but to observe what occurs when compressed matter briefly allows spatial cues to surface.

This image is derived directly from Ur III. The chromatic structure remains materially continuous with the abstract work, ensuring that colour, density, and pressure remain aligned while depth, distance, and atmosphere begin to organize.

Unlike the abstract version, which actively refuses location, Derived Landscape operates at a fragile threshold. Spatial sensations appear, but they do not stabilize into a place. There is no horizon, no destination, and no narrative anchoring.

This is not a return to landscape as a genre. What emerges can be described as a displaced landscape — a temporary spatial reading produced by pressure and light rather than representation.

Derivation requires restraint. Recognition must be permitted without becoming dominant. Depth must open without establishing orientation. Every adjustment is measured to preserve the silence and weight of the original abstract condition.

In this sense, Ur III — Derived Landscape does not stand apart from Ur III. It exists as a secondary reading — a momentary reorganization of matter before it returns to suspension.


Ur II abstract artwork exploring primordial matter and suspended geological time

Ur II

Ur II : A Primordial Presence Held in Deep Time

Ur II belongs to the Ur series, a body of digital artworks that explores a state of the world prior to any recognizable form. Before named continents, before orientation, before land and water became distinct, Ur II remains anchored in dense, suspended matter. It does not depict a landscape or an event. It sustains a condition.

This work offers no horizon, no stable viewpoint, and no readable space. There is no foreground and no background. What emerges is a compressed field shaped by slow internal pressure, latent fracture, and restrained light. Ur II functions as a silent section through deep time, holding matter in suspension before separation takes place.

Ur II is not a decorative image. It is conceived as a presence to live with. The work does not seek immediate attention or visual consumption. It resists quick interpretation and rewards duration. The longer the gaze remains, the more the image reveals itself as tension rather than representation.

This approach is central to what I describe as a pedagogy of the gaze. Ur II asks the viewer to slow down, to stay, and to allow perception to unfold over time. Because nothing is illustrated or explained, the eye learns to read density, pressure, and buried light as primary elements. Meaning does not arrive instantly; it accumulates.

Within a space, Ur II does not aim to fill a wall. It gives weight to a place. The work is designed to endure daily presence, shifting light, and repeated encounters. It settles rather than asserts itself, remaining quietly active over time.

As part of the Ur series, Ur II does not narrate an origin. It remains within it. The image holds a condition where form has not yet stabilized and where matter has not resolved into legible structure. What persists is silence, density, and duration.

Ur II is available both through this site and on Singulart, allowing the work to circulate while remaining grounded in the conceptual framework of the Ur series.

For information about print availability and formats, please refer to the Unique Editions section of the site.



Ur II Derived Landscape image emerging from the abstract Ur II, where suspended matter briefly organizes into a legible frozen space while preserving the original chromatic and temporal tension
Ur II — Derived Landscape

Deriving a Landscape

With Ur II — Derived Landscape, a secondary state emerges from the abstract work. The objective is not to compose a landscape, but to observe what occurs when dense matter momentarily accepts legibility under the influence of cold, gravity, and depth.

This image is derived directly from Ur II. The colour palette maintains a strict chromatic continuity with the abstract work, ensuring a direct material dialogue between the two while allowing spatial cues such as distance, relief, and atmosphere to surface.

Unlike the abstract version, which resists recognition entirely, Derived Landscape operates at the threshold of perception. Ice, valleys, and frozen water appear, but they do not stabilize into a scene. The image remains suspended between abstraction and representation, never fully resolving into place.

This is not a return to landscape as a genre. What emerges here can be described as an artscape: a spatial sensation shaped by pressure, erosion, and light rather than narrative or description. The image invites the eye forward without offering orientation or destination.

Deriving a landscape requires a different form of restraint. Recognition must be allowed without becoming dominant. Depth must open without constructing a horizon. Every decision is measured to preserve the silence and weight of the original abstract condition.

In this sense, Ur II — Derived Landscape does not stand apart from Ur II. It exists as a secondary reading — a moment where abstraction reorganizes just enough to become traversable, before returning to density.


Ur I full view digital artwork from the Ur series exploring primordial abstract matter

Ur I

Ur Ⅰ : A Primordial Presence Before Form

Ur Ⅰ belongs to the Ur series, a body of digital artworks that explores a state of the world prior to any recognizable form. Before named continents, before the sea was distinct from land, before narrative and myth, Ur Ⅰ is anchored in dense, silent matter. It does not depict a landscape or an event. Instead, it sustains a condition.

This work does not offer a horizon, a viewpoint, or a readable space. There is no foreground and no background. What appears is a compressed field shaped by slow pressure, internal fracture, and restrained light. Ur Ⅰ functions like a silent section through deep time, holding matter in suspension before separation occurs.

Ur Ⅰ is not a decorative image. It is conceived as a presence to live with. The work does not seek immediate attention or visual consumption. It resists quick interpretation and rewards duration. The longer the gaze remains, the more the image reveals itself as tension rather than representation.

This approach is central to what I describe as a pedagogy of the gaze. Ur Ⅰ asks the viewer to slow down, to stay, and to allow perception to unfold over time. Because nothing is illustrated or explained, the eye learns to read density, pressure, and light as primary elements. Meaning does not arrive instantly; it accumulates.

Within a space, Ur Ⅰ does not aim to fill a wall. It gives weight to a place. The work is designed to endure daily presence, changing light, and repeated encounters. It settles rather than asserts itself, remaining quietly active over time.

As part of the Ur series, Ur Ⅰ does not narrate an origin. It remains within it. The image holds a condition where form has not yet stabilized and where matter has not resolved into readable structure. What persists is silence, density, and duration.

Ur Ⅰ is available both through this site and on Singulart,
allowing the work to circulate while remaining grounded in the conceptual framework of the Ur series.

For information about print availability and formats, please refer to the Unique Editions
section of the site.



Ur I Derived Landscape digital artwork emerging from the abstract Ur I, where dense matter briefly becomes legible as an artscape while preserving the original chromatic tension
Ur I — Derived Landscape

Deriving a Landscape

With Ur I — Derived Landscape, the image allows a secondary state to emerge from the abstract work. The goal was not to compose a landscape, but to observe what happens when dense matter momentarily accepts legibility.

This image is derived directly from Ur I. The colour palette maintains a direct chromatic dialogue with the abstract work, ensuring continuity between the two pieces while allowing depth, distance, and atmosphere to surface.

Unlike the abstract version, which resists recognition entirely, Derived Landscape operates at the threshold of visibility. A sense of space appears, but it does not stabilize into a scene. The image remains suspended between abstraction and perception, never fully resolving into place.

This is not a return to landscape as a genre. What emerges here can be described as an artscape: a spatial sensation shaped by light, pressure, and erosion rather than description or narrative. The image invites the eye forward without offering orientation or destination.

Deriving a landscape requires a different form of restraint. Recognition must be allowed without becoming dominant. Depth must open without constructing a horizon. Every decision is measured to preserve the silence and weight of the original abstract condition.

In this sense, Ur I — Derived Landscape does not stand apart from Ur I. It exists as a secondary reading — a moment where abstraction reorganizes just enough to become traversable, before returning to density.


Ephyra abstract digital art featuring layered motion, diffused light, and soft earth tones suggesting an emerging siren form

Ephyra

Ephyra as Abstract Digital Art

Ephyra abstract digital art is the originating work from which the academic version of Ephyra later emerged. This abstract composition is not conceived as a preliminary study, but as a complete and autonomous artwork that establishes the structural, chromatic, and spatial conditions for figuration within my Siren digital art series.

I always publish the abstract version first, because it defines the visual framework that the academic siren will later condense and refine.

Origin of Ephyra Abstract Digital Art

This piece was developed through a layered digital painting process, focusing on the accumulation of colour, density, and controlled movement. Rather than depicting a subject, the composition organizes forces within the frame, allowing presence to be sensed without being named or illustrated.

The image resists a single focal point. Instead, it relies on internal tension and balance, creating a field where form remains suspended and unresolved.

Composition and Visual Structure

The composition is built around subtle asymmetries and a restrained palette. Colour transitions are intentionally gradual, avoiding sharp contrasts in favour of tonal depth and cohesion. Areas of compression and release guide the eye without imposing a narrative direction.

This structural approach allows the work to function both as a standalone abstract piece and as the source structure for later figurative incarnations.

Digital Process and Print Considerations

Ephyra is produced as a high-resolution digital painting, designed from the outset for fine art printing. I pay close attention to surface continuity, colour interaction, and tonal stability to ensure consistency across different print sizes.

The work maintains clarity at close range while preserving overall coherence when viewed from a distance, making it suitable for large-format presentation.

Relationship to the Academic Version

The academic version of Ephyra is not a reinterpretation of this abstract work, but a condensation of it. The abstract composition establishes the visual logic—balance, restraint, and internal rhythm—that later allows the figure to emerge.

If you would like to view my available works and editions, you can also find my catalogue on Singulart.



Ephyra academic study depicting a restrained androgynous winged figure developed from the abstract digital artwork Ephyra, rendered with controlled academic light
Ephyra — Study in Academic Light

Recreating an Academic Image

With Ephyra — Study in Academic Light, I approached the academic figure as a disciplined condensation of an existing abstract composition. The goal was not to translate the abstract image literally, but to test how its internal structure could sustain a restrained figurative presence.

The academic version of Ephyra draws on classical principles of balance, verticality, and controlled illumination. Light is used to describe form without dramatization, and the composition remains stable and frontal. Expression is deliberately minimal, allowing the figure to assert presence without narrative or symbolism.

Anatomical decisions were made with restraint. Proportions are slightly elongated to reinforce neutrality and suspension rather than character or identity. The figure remains calm, almost indifferent, positioned between abstraction and representation.

Recreating an academic image requires a precise visual discipline. Light must shape the form without spectacle. Texture must suggest material presence without emphasizing technique. Every element is measured to maintain coherence and credibility.

This study is not conceived as a portrait, nor as a historical reconstruction. It functions as a technical and visual test: how far an abstract composition can be condensed into a figure without losing its structural integrity. The palette, atmosphere, and compositional logic all originate from the abstract version of Ephyra.

In this sense, Ephyra — Study in Academic Light does not stand apart from the abstract work. It exists as a secondary state — a moment where abstraction is slowed down, disciplined, and temporarily held within the figure.


Makena abstract siren digital artwork by Denis Leclerc, exploring abstraction, balance, and visual restraint

Makera

Makena Abstract Siren Study

Makena Abstract Siren is a body of work that explores the siren figure through progressive degrees of abstraction. In this piece, I deliberately step away from representation to focus on pictorial decisions that shape how presence is perceived rather than described.

This work belongs to the abstract continuity of the series, where the siren is no longer defined by anatomy or narrative, but by visual balance, density, and restraint. You can explore the full series here:
https://leclerc-art.com/siren-digital-art-series/

Working Through Abstraction

The objective behind Makena was precise: to suggest abundance without excess. Rather than relying on symbolic elements, I worked through straightforward pictorial techniques — layering, softened edges, controlled diffusion, and reduced contrast. These decisions allow the image to remain visually rich while avoiding illustrative detail.

Each layer was introduced gradually, then partially blurred or reduced, until the composition reached a state where forms are sensed rather than clearly identified. Abstraction is used here as a working method, not as decoration — a way to control how much of the figure is allowed to appear.

Origin and Meaning of the Name Makena

The name Makena has East African origins and is often associated with the idea of abundance or fullness. This meaning directly informed the approach to the work — not abundance as accumulation, but as contained density. The image was developed to convey a sense of visual richness held in balance, where fullness is felt through restraint rather than excess.

Technique and Visual Outcome

Makena was developed as a digital painting, using a process similar to traditional pictorial construction. The image was built through successive passes, with constant adjustments to texture, luminosity, and tonal balance. Contrast was intentionally limited, and sharpness applied selectively, in order to maintain cohesion across the surface.

The result is an abstract siren that holds together through balance rather than detail. The image does not aim for immediate readability, but for sustained presence — a visual field where weight, warmth, and atmosphere remain stable over time. In this Makena abstract siren, abstraction is used as a practical tool to control density, balance, and visual weight.

Position Within the Siren Series

Within the Siren Series, Makena marks a shift toward a more concentrated form of abstraction. The siren is no longer an image to be recognized, but a visual condition to be experienced. This approach allows the series to expand while maintaining coherence between figurative and abstract works.

Makena is also presented on Singulart, alongside other works from the series:
https://www.singulart.com



Makena academic study depicting a restrained winged female figure inspired by 19th-century academic light, derived from an abstract digital artwork
Makena — Study in Academic Light

Recreating an Academic Image

With Makena — Study in Academic Light, I set out to recreate the visual discipline of an academic study, not as an exercise in nostalgia, but as a way to test my abstract practice against a historically codified form of beauty.

The figure draws inspiration from the pictorial language developed by 19th-century Orientalist painters, particularly in their approach to light, texture, and the idealized presentation of the female body. In that tradition, beauty was carefully constructed through controlled illumination, stable composition, and a refined treatment of surfaces rather than spontaneous expression.

Here, the focus was on capturing the quiet strength and elegance of an Ethiopian woman while working within the constraints of academic painting. The posture is stable, the expression restrained, and the light deliberately measured. Nothing is exaggerated. Everything is held.

Recreating an academic image requires a specific kind of attention. Light must describe form without dramatizing it. Texture must suggest material presence without calling attention to technique. Balance, calm, and visual coherence are essential to the image’s credibility.

This study was not conceived as a portrait, nor as a historical reconstruction. It functions as a visual and technical test: how far abstraction can be condensed into a figure without losing coherence. The colour palette, atmosphere, and compositional structure all originate from an existing abstract work. The figure emerges afterward, as a disciplined response to that abstract foundation.

In this sense, Makena — Study in Academic Light does not contradict my abstract practice. It marks a moment where abstraction is slowed down, measured against the figure, and refined — before returning to abstraction, informed by the encounter.