'We need paintings such as mine to keep our spirit rooted to the land.' McNichol: "I am drawn to the open spaces and natural light of the land. These spaces can be frightening and deeply spiritual. As with earlier painters of this century, I continue on this course. "The spirit of the individual facing the future head on is what has put the American culture in the vanguard going into the 21st century. But, as with any culture, we cannot and should not forsake our past. If our future is to become so technologically dominant, we will need paintings such as mine to keep our spirit rooted to our land."