Restaurant Interior 

John Michael Carter’s "Restaurant Interior" presents an intimate scene rendered with loose brushstrokes and a muted palette dominated by greens, yellows and blues. The composition is structured around a large arched window, framing a distant view, and the interior space with figures dining. Carter employs a semiotic system of light and color to differentiate the external world from the interior. The figures, including the waiter, are integrated into this network, their forms defined more by light and shadow than by precise contours. The painting’s formal structure suggests a critique of traditional representational space. The play of light across surfaces dissolves the solidity of objects, challenging the viewer's perception of depth and form. The painting destabilizes conventional notions of realism, inviting us to consider how visual elements construct meaning and experience. The formal qualities of “Restaurant Interior” encourage ongoing interpretation and reflection on the nature of seeing and representing the world around us.