Though based in the landscape tradition, the oil paintings of Marc Civitarese are cerebral and visceral explorations of the relationship of "man" and "nature", and thus depart from a pure realist depiction of the world and move towards a more expressive sensibility.  By abstracting what he considers to be the elements of realism: shape, form, and light, his work thus becomes and introspective exploration of his feelings and thoughts of man, nature, and spirituality.

The artists says of his subject matter; "Each painting is a memory, a reflection of my observations of nature, which are reduced, distilled, and refined to the pure elements that engaged and provoked a response from me."