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Chase Langford Paintings

American

Chase Langford has invented a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions recall maps and aerial photography of sea coasts, mountains, farmland and cities through a calculated execution and highly refined draftsmanship.

Just as the West Coast Abstract Expressionists (1940–70) found California’s striking landscape fertile ground, so does Langford as he draws upon his geographic environs both near and far. Through his cartographic mastery, Langford contorts and synthesizes geographic elements, bringing forth paintings that are mysteriously familiar yet surprisingly unconventional. They challenge conventions of geography and landscapes, offering invigorating visions of space and place that transcend any specific locale, leading us to an exhilarating emotional experience.

Born in Pontiac, Michigan, Langford is a Los Angeles-based artist well known for his geographically inspired paintings. He studied cartography earning a BA from UC Santa Barbara in geography then worked as a cartographer at UCLA. Starting with his “Map Paintings,” Langford literally reinterpreted geography by taking selected features from maps and filled in the reconfigured shapes in a flurry of color and movement creating a fresh take on familiar geographic forms. This was followed with a series that moved even deeper into pure abstraction with his “Coldwater,” “Mulholland,” and “Scrape” series, which all lead to his “Morphic” series, now the core focus of his painting today.

Langford’s paintings have been widely shown at one-person and group exhibitions in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C., Montreal, Palo Alto, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Napa Valley, Seattle, and Palm Springs, and are included many corporate/public collections (often site-specific commissions) such as Long Beach Museum of Art, Keck School of Medicine at USC, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Star City in Sydney, Australia, and more. Langford’s work is held in private collections in North America, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia. It is also in the private collections of Magic Johnson and the Saudi royal family.

Find original Chase Langford art on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Chase Langford
Kauai

Kauai

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Monaghan's paintings have always shown a sensitivity and reverence for light on the cusp of change. Says Monaghan, “Many of my paintings which depict dawn or dusk represent a special...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Malibu" the layers of the sea, abstract painting inspired by California blues
"Malibu" the layers of the sea, abstract painting inspired by California blues

"Malibu" the layers of the sea, abstract painting inspired by California blues

By Chase Langford

Located in Edgartown, MA

Chase Langford has created a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions reca...

Category

2010s Abstract Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Emerald Bay 48" abstract flowing oil painting with gray, blue, green, orange
"Emerald Bay 48" abstract flowing oil painting with gray, blue, green, orange

"Emerald Bay 48" abstract flowing oil painting with gray, blue, green, orange

By Chase Langford

Located in Edgartown, MA

Chase Langford has created a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions reca...

Category

2010s Abstract Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Catalina Point" abstract of ocean
"Catalina Point" abstract of ocean

"Catalina Point" abstract of ocean

By Chase Langford

Located in Edgartown, MA

Chase Langford has created a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions reca...

Category

2010s Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Avalon Bay" colorful flowing abstract oil painting blue, green, red
"Avalon Bay" colorful flowing abstract oil painting blue, green, red

"Avalon Bay" colorful flowing abstract oil painting blue, green, red

By Chase Langford

Located in Edgartown, MA

Chase Langford has created a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions reca...

Category

2010s Abstract Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chroma X68

Chroma X68

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location with carefully selected color and precise shapes. In the 1980’s, after studying cartography at UC Santa Barbara and drawing maps for the UCLA faculty, Langford began exploring ways to combine his mastery of map-making with his love of fine art. In his original map paintings, Langford reinterprets geography by taking selected features from maps and filling in the reconfigured shapes with flurries of color, exploring varied locations such as Essex, England and the Galapagos Islands. In his “Morphic” series, Langford once again finds inspiration in specific geographic regions, abstracting them until they are nearly unrecognizable with colors interweaving and flowing around each other. Almost seeming to mimic the fluid strata of the Earth, Langford adds and scrapes away layers of oil paint, building up intricate textures while simultaneously revealing the colors below. Langford’s highly-collected “Chroma” series began as a happy mistake. One day, displeased with the brushwork of a painting, he decided to obscure the image by painting small rows of vertical brushstrokes; in doing so, he took note of the beauty of organic uniformity. After years of refining his technique, Langford created the trance-like paintings that he likes to think of as rows of city blocks on a map. Langford has completed many site-specific commissions, including for Monique Lhuillier, Inc.; the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation; and Caesar’s Palace...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Laguna Cove 3

Laguna Cove 3

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil

Mammoth Lakes

Mammoth Lakes

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Rockefeller
Rockefeller

Rockefeller

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Oil and Metallic Paint on Canvas. Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, ev...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chroma X21

Chroma X21

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stampede Reservoir

Stampede Reservoir

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil

Chroma X62

Chroma X62

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location with carefully selected color and precise shapes. In the 1980’s, after studying cartography at UC Santa Barbara and drawing maps for the UCLA faculty, Langford began exploring ways to combine his mastery of map-making with his love of fine art. In his original map paintings, Langford reinterprets geography by taking selected features from maps and filling in the reconfigured shapes with flurries of color, exploring varied locations such as Essex, England and the Galapagos Islands. In his “Morphic” series, Langford once again finds inspiration in specific geographic regions, abstracting them until they are nearly unrecognizable with colors interweaving and flowing around each other. Almost seeming to mimic the fluid strata of the Earth, Langford adds and scrapes away layers of oil paint, building up intricate textures while simultaneously revealing the colors below. Langford’s highly-collected “Chroma” series began as a happy mistake. One day, displeased with the brushwork of a painting, he decided to obscure the image by painting small rows of vertical brushstrokes; in doing so, he took note of the beauty of organic uniformity. After years of refining his technique, Langford created the trance-like paintings that he likes to think of as rows of city blocks on a map. Langford has completed many site-specific commissions, including for Monique Lhuillier, Inc.; the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation; and Caesar’s Palace...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Elephant Walk 3" vibrant pink, red, and orange painting with geometric lines

"Elephant Walk 3" vibrant pink, red, and orange painting with geometric lines

By Chase Langford

Located in Edgartown, MA

Chase Langford has created a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions reca...

Category

2010s Abstract Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Elephant Walk 2" pink abstract with depth created by texture and motion
"Elephant Walk 2" pink abstract with depth created by texture and motion

"Elephant Walk 2" pink abstract with depth created by texture and motion

By Chase Langford

Located in Edgartown, MA

Chase Langford has created a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions reca...

Category

2010s Abstract Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Aegean Sea

Aegean Sea

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Oil and Metallic Paint on Canvas. Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, ev...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Saddle Junction 24
Saddle Junction 24

Saddle Junction 24

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location with carefully selected color and precise shapes. In the 1980’s, after studying cartography at UC Santa Barbara and drawing maps for the UCLA faculty, Langford began exploring ways to combine his mastery of map-making with his love of fine art. In his original map paintings, Langford reinterprets geography by taking selected features from maps and filling in the reconfigured shapes with flurries of color, exploring varied locations such as Essex, England and the Galapagos Islands...

Category

2010s Abstract Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sentinel Peak

Sentinel Peak

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Catalina Current 3

Catalina Current 3

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil

Saddle Junction 23
Saddle Junction 23

Saddle Junction 23

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chroma X48 (A Bigger Red)

Chroma X48 (A Bigger Red)

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Amalfi 4" abstract oil painting in shades of blue, green, red and white
"Amalfi 4" abstract oil painting in shades of blue, green, red and white

"Amalfi 4" abstract oil painting in shades of blue, green, red and white

By Chase Langford

Located in Edgartown, MA

Chase Langford has invented a distinctive visual language that is grounded in the natural and built environment while embarking into uncharted territory. His impactful depictions recall maps and aerial photography of sea coasts, mountains, farmland and cities through a calculated execution and highly refined draftsmanship. Just as the West Coast Abstract Expressionists (1940 to 1970) found California’s striking landscape fertile ground, so does Langford as he draws upon his geographic environs both near and far. Through his cartographic mastery, Langford contorts and synthesizes geographic elements, bringing forth paintings that are mysteriously familiar yet surprisingly unconventional. They challenge conventions of geography and landscapes, offering invigorating visions of space and place that transcend any specific locale, leading us to an exhilarating emotional experience. Bio Chase Langford born in Pontiac, Michigan, is a Los Angeles-based artist well known for his geographically inspired paintings. He studied cartography earning a BA from UC Santa Barbara in Geography then worked as a cartographer at UCLA. Starting with his Map Paintings he literally reinterpreted geography by taking selected features from maps and filled in the reconfigured shapes in a flurry of color and movement creating a fresh take on familiar geographic forms. This followed with series that moved even deeper into pure abstraction with his Coldwater, Mulholland, and Scrape series which all lead to his Morphic series, now the core focus of his painting today. His paintings have been widely shown at one-person and group exhibitions in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington DC, Montreal, Palo Alto, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Napa Valley, Seattle, and Palm Springs and included many corporate/public collections (often site specific commissions) such as Long Beach Musuem of Art, Keck School of Medicine at USC, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Star City...

Category

2010s Abstract Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chroma X78

Chroma X78

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location with carefully selected color and precise shapes. In the 1980’s, after studying cartography at UC Santa Barbara and drawing maps for the UCLA faculty, Langford began exploring ways to combine his mastery of map-making with his love of fine art. In his original map paintings, Langford reinterprets geography by taking selected features from maps and filling in the reconfigured shapes with flurries of color, exploring varied locations such as Essex, England and the Galapagos Islands. In his “Morphic” series, Langford once again finds inspiration in specific geographic regions, abstracting them until they are nearly unrecognizable with colors interweaving and flowing around each other. Almost seeming to mimic the fluid strata of the Earth, Langford adds and scrapes away layers of oil paint, building up intricate textures while simultaneously revealing the colors below. Langford’s highly-collected “Chroma” series began as a happy mistake. One day, displeased with the brushwork of a painting, he decided to obscure the image by painting small rows of vertical brushstrokes; in doing so, he took note of the beauty of organic uniformity. After years of refining his technique, Langford created the trance-like paintings that he likes to think of as rows of city blocks on a map. Langford has completed many site-specific commissions, including for Monique Lhuillier, Inc.; the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation; and Caesar’s Palace...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Capri 4

Capri 4

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chroma X14

Chroma X14

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Oil on canvas Chase Langford is an artist well-known for his geography-inspired paintings; the "Chroma" series is his investigation of color. "Imagine the effect of spending m...

Category

2010s Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Baltic
Baltic

Baltic

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil

Springfield

Springfield

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil

Cold Mountain

Cold Mountain

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Del Mar 25

Del Mar 25

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ruby Pass

Ruby Pass

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chroma X61

Chroma X61

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cortina Ridge

Cortina Ridge

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil

Coachella Triad
Coachella Triad

Coachella Triad

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Chroma X60

Chroma X60

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Napa

Napa

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Cozumel Reef

Cozumel Reef

By Chase Langford

Located in Napa, CA

Inspired by cartography from an early age, Chase Langford’s abstract paintings transform the familiarity of cities and maps into fluid visions, evoking the feeling of the location wi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Chase Langford Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chase Langford paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Chase Langford paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, orange, red and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Chase Langford in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Chase Langford paintings, so small editions measuring 13 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Perry Burns, Liz Barber, and Audra Weaser. Chase Langford paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,250 and tops out at $31,500, while the average work can sell for $9,600.