A new perspective
June 3, 2002 | 12:00am
The wealth and cultural diversity of medieval Europe inspired me so much for the past few years that I feel my later years will later on be described as a quest for truly timeless places that have influenced the course of history. For me, these places form a great part of my personal tranquillity and inner contentment. It is no wonder that I have been doing a lot of traveling, rediscovering the treasures of the past and searching for other possibilities in creating a new perspective in my artworks.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m in a constant state of haste, trying to catch those special moments of pleasure, interest and excitement, and furiously trying to record those mental images in my own visual language before that dreaded mental burn-out called Alzheimer’s. My instruments and tools, my brush, pen, colors and film, are part of my personal baggage. Whenever I go on my travels, that ever-present thought continually haunts my mind – "I may never pass this route again."
When I visited some places in Europe, I was often struck by the violent history of how many times a new cultural minority would come along and impose its will on the original inhabitants, often in the name of religion. The conquerors sought to enlighten heathens, by force, if necessary. They tried to control the beliefs of their new subjects and destroyed shrines of old faiths in accordance with the Old Testament prescription for conquered territories. In many places, I found instances of sacred shrines being destroyed in favor of a mosque, an ancient dwelling covered by a church, and sanctuaries prohibiting local religious practices, in favor of its own.
Gradually, I came to realize just how much was lost. It was only during the last few centuries when the people finally realized the senselessness of these actions and how misguided it was for one group to consider itself "good" or "right" and typecast another set of ideas as "evil" or "wrong."
My recent sojourn to Central Europe provided me with a compelling and an almost first person view of medieval culture. Elemental, mysterious, pure, sublime over time, people have attributed these qualities of the natural landscape and more. The countryside and way of life in Europe continue to excite powerful emotions in spite of urban and suburban expansionism. In some places, I was hard-pressed to find any actual houses with people living in it. Most of the ancient and magnificent structures were either serving as a museum or a glass shop, and very commercialized. The land has come to represent not mystery or fertility, but commerce.
Even with all my experience, I still tend to run around all over Europe, accomplishing as much as I can, squeezing many things into a short period of time, and yet it never seems to be enough. In some ways, I derive great satisfaction from my accomplishments, but also my great frustrations. There never seems to be enough time and often, by concentrating on the end result, I forget to enjoy the process of getting there. Once the end result is achieved, the sketch or photo at the end of my trip, the actual moment when I arrive at the shrine of a thousand years, a new goal crops up linked to my present achievement or perhaps spurred by advice of a new-found friend, sending me on a new quest, with the cycle repeating many times over. I hardly find time for relaxation and meditation.
The most important lesson I discovered was to allow myself more time than the average tourist. I linger not only for hours at a certain place, not only focusing on certain moods during specific hours of the day, but also to return to each location on several occasions over a period of several years to let the place sink in a really deep level.
In my work, either painting or writing, I pursue a similar plan of attack. By reexamining my own working habits and constantly studying the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of my work, I formulate new perspectives on places I visited before. As in my travels, I revisit that place in my mind countless times, focusing on different aspects and conditions and producing new perspectives and interpretations, until I find that perfect vision that reflects my passions and feelings for that specific time and place. In this regard, discipline and hard work are the main factors, an energy which the viewer can witness and feel in the action of my paintings.
The tension between my early, warm colored folk patterns representing my 11 years as a UNICEF artist, and my recent works portraying my global village series, reminds me of the constant state of evolution one must undergo to truly grow. Traveling provides me the opportunity to be in that wonderful place at a special time. Painting provides me the opportunity to relive that wonderful place from that special time. To me, there is no difference between traveling and sitting in front of my easel. Reflecting on my passion and feelings in front of my easel gives me a wondrous sensation of relaxation, and a complex freedom from time and pressure.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m in a constant state of haste, trying to catch those special moments of pleasure, interest and excitement, and furiously trying to record those mental images in my own visual language before that dreaded mental burn-out called Alzheimer’s. My instruments and tools, my brush, pen, colors and film, are part of my personal baggage. Whenever I go on my travels, that ever-present thought continually haunts my mind – "I may never pass this route again."
When I visited some places in Europe, I was often struck by the violent history of how many times a new cultural minority would come along and impose its will on the original inhabitants, often in the name of religion. The conquerors sought to enlighten heathens, by force, if necessary. They tried to control the beliefs of their new subjects and destroyed shrines of old faiths in accordance with the Old Testament prescription for conquered territories. In many places, I found instances of sacred shrines being destroyed in favor of a mosque, an ancient dwelling covered by a church, and sanctuaries prohibiting local religious practices, in favor of its own.
Gradually, I came to realize just how much was lost. It was only during the last few centuries when the people finally realized the senselessness of these actions and how misguided it was for one group to consider itself "good" or "right" and typecast another set of ideas as "evil" or "wrong."
My recent sojourn to Central Europe provided me with a compelling and an almost first person view of medieval culture. Elemental, mysterious, pure, sublime over time, people have attributed these qualities of the natural landscape and more. The countryside and way of life in Europe continue to excite powerful emotions in spite of urban and suburban expansionism. In some places, I was hard-pressed to find any actual houses with people living in it. Most of the ancient and magnificent structures were either serving as a museum or a glass shop, and very commercialized. The land has come to represent not mystery or fertility, but commerce.
Even with all my experience, I still tend to run around all over Europe, accomplishing as much as I can, squeezing many things into a short period of time, and yet it never seems to be enough. In some ways, I derive great satisfaction from my accomplishments, but also my great frustrations. There never seems to be enough time and often, by concentrating on the end result, I forget to enjoy the process of getting there. Once the end result is achieved, the sketch or photo at the end of my trip, the actual moment when I arrive at the shrine of a thousand years, a new goal crops up linked to my present achievement or perhaps spurred by advice of a new-found friend, sending me on a new quest, with the cycle repeating many times over. I hardly find time for relaxation and meditation.
The most important lesson I discovered was to allow myself more time than the average tourist. I linger not only for hours at a certain place, not only focusing on certain moods during specific hours of the day, but also to return to each location on several occasions over a period of several years to let the place sink in a really deep level.
In my work, either painting or writing, I pursue a similar plan of attack. By reexamining my own working habits and constantly studying the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of my work, I formulate new perspectives on places I visited before. As in my travels, I revisit that place in my mind countless times, focusing on different aspects and conditions and producing new perspectives and interpretations, until I find that perfect vision that reflects my passions and feelings for that specific time and place. In this regard, discipline and hard work are the main factors, an energy which the viewer can witness and feel in the action of my paintings.
The tension between my early, warm colored folk patterns representing my 11 years as a UNICEF artist, and my recent works portraying my global village series, reminds me of the constant state of evolution one must undergo to truly grow. Traveling provides me the opportunity to be in that wonderful place at a special time. Painting provides me the opportunity to relive that wonderful place from that special time. To me, there is no difference between traveling and sitting in front of my easel. Reflecting on my passion and feelings in front of my easel gives me a wondrous sensation of relaxation, and a complex freedom from time and pressure.
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