Israel
MFA Painting
-
Untitled
Ron Amir, 2009
detail
oil and tempera on wood
206 x 270cm -
Untitled
Ron Amir, 2009
detail
oil and tempera on wood
206 x 270cm -
Untitled
Ron Amir, 2009
charcoal on paper
300 x 200cm -
Untitled
Ron Amir, 2009
oil on wood
24 x 35cm -
Untitled
Ron Amir, 2008
oil on wood
56 x 46cm -
Untitled
Ron Amir, 2009
Technique
oil on wood
56 x 46cm
Artist
Ron Amir
1975, Israel
BA Royal Academy of Art, Den Haag
Academia di bella arti di Roma
Studio for restoration Tivoli
mail newart_2000@hotmail.com
1975, Israel
BA Royal Academy of Art, Den Haag
Academia di bella arti di Roma
Studio for restoration Tivoli
mail newart_2000@hotmail.com
Statement
My main theme is power in its different manifestations. This is very much connected to my perception of the duty of the artist. Coming from Israel where the concept of military power is a part of the culture, it is important for me to reflect on its consequences. I am not looking for an exact hero, victim or story to tell. My approach to the subject is from a personal point of view. The content of my drawings shows us a world where humanity has been reduced to a freshly ploughed field. The meticulous manner in which those drawings have been carried out becomes a symbol for the tribute to humanity - however precarious this existence may be or be felt. And with that and through that, those drawings, with their ominous radiance, are indisputably a contribution to the series of questions concerning the quality of our existence, questions that humanity must ask itself - without raising a moralistic finger or making propaganda for a particular political idea.
An additional theme is the bond between men and nature and its consequences. This concerns the level to which mankind, by his actions, shapes and changes the world according to his will, as well as the manner in which I as an artist can react to this issue. The line between nature and artifice is no longer clear, the paintings, which have a collage-like character, are blurring this line. The continuous changes of the surrounding and nature and the effort scientists put into developing artificial environments are linked to my use of virtual spaces, which become a world of their own with their own existence.
My work on small wood panels is loosely painted with oil paint. They are greyish, incoherent scenes. Animals often play the leading role, but not as cosy pets. A dog is standing on two legs as a wolf, crying to an absent moon with a blood-smeared interior: it calls for a dark atmosphere, for example, the illegal dog-fighting as in the rough Mexican movie, Amores Perros.
I express worlds that you can go into, each with its own atmosphere.
Q&A
What is the very first thing you do when you walk into your studio each day?
I start working right away. What is your drive for making art? (Is it a need? Does it help you think? Is it for yourself? Are you trying to tell someone else something? To whom?)
I can't imagine my life without painting and drawing. I don't need any trigger or particular reason to do it. How to consume art?
There is no one way to consume art, people are coming from different places, mentalities and cultures and have a range of different expectations and approaches towards art. It is only important to come with an open mind. What function has (had) writing (the thesis) in your artistic process?
Writing my Thesis brought me to recognize patterns and tendencies in my process of work. I realized how much the place I come from has an enormous impact on my artistic practice and understanding of art. I found many new connections to other artists and theories which expanded my world and discovered new meanings in my work. Which one of your fellow graduating students has in your opinion experienced the most remarkable development during his/her stay at the Frank Mohr Institute, and why?
Larissa van Zanen has made an outstanding progress with her paintings. She has developed within new languages of painting to the point that the meaning of her work comes out of brush strokes and colours; this is a real painter we are talking about. Her combinations of figurative and abstract languages, painted directly and in rough manner, generate a storm of emotions and images which shock the viewer. The world presented in her work is a world of its own; it is not narrative and does not illustrate a story. It is a personal world which only strong people have the courage to expose. Larissa's paintings don't judge or raise a moralistic finger, she gives the viewer a mental space to find his own meaning and be connected to the work on a personal level. It raises feelings and thoughts and can alter the viewer's ideas about certain things. This is no mean achievement.
I start working right away. What is your drive for making art? (Is it a need? Does it help you think? Is it for yourself? Are you trying to tell someone else something? To whom?)
I can't imagine my life without painting and drawing. I don't need any trigger or particular reason to do it. How to consume art?
There is no one way to consume art, people are coming from different places, mentalities and cultures and have a range of different expectations and approaches towards art. It is only important to come with an open mind. What function has (had) writing (the thesis) in your artistic process?
Writing my Thesis brought me to recognize patterns and tendencies in my process of work. I realized how much the place I come from has an enormous impact on my artistic practice and understanding of art. I found many new connections to other artists and theories which expanded my world and discovered new meanings in my work. Which one of your fellow graduating students has in your opinion experienced the most remarkable development during his/her stay at the Frank Mohr Institute, and why?
Larissa van Zanen has made an outstanding progress with her paintings. She has developed within new languages of painting to the point that the meaning of her work comes out of brush strokes and colours; this is a real painter we are talking about. Her combinations of figurative and abstract languages, painted directly and in rough manner, generate a storm of emotions and images which shock the viewer. The world presented in her work is a world of its own; it is not narrative and does not illustrate a story. It is a personal world which only strong people have the courage to expose. Larissa's paintings don't judge or raise a moralistic finger, she gives the viewer a mental space to find his own meaning and be connected to the work on a personal level. It raises feelings and thoughts and can alter the viewer's ideas about certain things. This is no mean achievement.