Lisbeth Firmin is a contemporary American realist whose paintings and monotypes explore the relationship between people and their urban environment. Her urban landscapes follow in the tradition of earlier realists such as John Sloan and Edward Hopper, depicting today’s modern life in the streets, while reflecting modern themes of solitude and isolation. She is not interested in producing a literal translation of her subject matter, she strives to ride the line between abstraction and realism.
Firmin did not pursue an academic art education, but studied independently with printmaker Seong Moy, and painters Philip Malicoat, Victor Candell, and Leo Manso in Provincetown in the early 1970s. Her process involves bold applications of energetic marks and strokes, producing an abstract interplay of shapes that fall into place when viewed from a distance.
