Catching the light -(Hebrew V) gallery talk -Sam Rachamin שיח גלריה בעקבות האור סאם רחמין
Natural light from the sun is one of the sources of life, even though we tend to take it for granted It is one of the 4 elements that give life. -It is a ball of fire that warms our planet to the delict spectrum of temperatures that makes life possible. I feel extremely fortunate and grateful to have this miracle called life,but I also feel an obligation as a painter and artist to celebrate life through painting & representing the miracle of everyday existence.-Julia Cameron wrote in the book “the artist's way” that “our creations are gifts that we give back to the ultimate creature (god), and we do that for the presence of life”, I strongly identify with that phrase.-I see parallels in my work practice to the ancient Egyptians, who use to worship the sun god RA every morning,-It would be a type of a ceremony to thank Ra for battling the monsters of the night defeating darkness and letting us see another day.-I am not a religious person but to an extent, my paintings are religious, when I paint I try to be the servant of the light & of beauty and be thankful for what I have and what I can see. -The other type of light is an inner one, it has a spiritual and emotional significance; and mostly connected with goodness or the divine, for example, biblical scriptures describing religious figures having halo’s, or beaming with light. the Buddhist sculptures and painting describing the buddha’s having halos as well, Prometheus stealing fire from Olympus, the city of lights and so on, all attribute light to power and intelligence; there for the term “Enlightened“.-For me, the daily practice of painting is something that shines a great light on my life and helps me appreciate the world around me.-Another good example could come from the botanical world;In the same way, planets or trees need the light to create photosynthesis, and live, I need the daylight to paint, just like I need air and water.-Growing up in Israel I have had many near-death experiences and was exposed to violence, because of that, I value life dearly, I see it as a miracle and am grateful.-Drawing and painting have always been part of my life but because of the extreme environment I grew up in, for a long time I’ve invested myself in martial arts, and my experience in that domain had also nourished an outlook on life and art in particular.-I have learned a few martial arts, and I believe that painting is like a street fight,-it is the painter against nature,-and the painter needs to use everything in his/her arsenal of techniques in order to create a painting.-Just like in a street fight there are no rules, and therefor one technique might be helpful, but if the artist Is versatile and is a master of several techniques, the chances of him/her defeating the enemy increase.-In painting,the enemy is the enemy within,-it is our own preconceived thoughts, misconceptions fears and lack of understanding that we battle when painting reality.-Because of this fact,-there is a paradox that arises,-since it is my goal to paint reality, many times the best thing to do… is complete surrender, by doing that I let the overwhelming beauty of the nature guide me, and the more humble and attentive I am to the nature the better.-There is another point that I would also like to bring and that is the old masters.-When I paint, It is as if I am entering a realm of reality that is infinite, time stops, there is only ultimate truth, and the ultimate truth is the one that the old masters have revealed, that is why we appreciate them so much.-Since reality is time/space oriented, paradoxically the old masters work is timeless and its location of creation is non-important. -because the master who had revealed reality in all its glory had done it by capturing the moment.-An example of that is the fact that a Vermeer is incredible if it is in new York England or France, it doesn’t matter where you witness it, as long as you do.-For me the old masters are enlightened, for they have reached a level of control of both mind and matter that exceeds all others… the MATTER being the paint on a flat surface, the mind being the painter managing to surpass his individual mental cognitive capabilities.-To an extent the martial arts master and the “old master’s” have the same goal, that is to reach a level of mastery over the mind and soul, which is expressed through the actions of the body.When painting, it is for me as if I am entering the arena with Velasquez, Titian, Poussin, they are no longer alive but their paintings still are, their light continues to shine on in the realm of eternal truth.-Am I Enlightened Will I ever be enlightened, have my paintings captured a piece of truth,-Maybe!?,-even if so, every moment is a new moment, every moment offers a new opportunity of discovery, so as long as I have life in me, and a pair of working eyes and hands I will attempt to capture reality’s beauty.
for more information go to www.samrachamin.com or contact Rothschild fine art.
