My way (Full text)
I am a man making sense of his life, who has become a Fine Artist while adventuring into engineering, travelling and discovering what he is passionate about.
Who am I?
Relevant art
I believe in making relevant art; art that touches the soul, as other artists' works have touched mine. Relevance can be associated to craftsmanship and expressiveness. Art does not provide explanations or prescriptive knowledge; it just reveals or creates mysteries for engaging oneself in the life experience.
Ambiguity
My work weaves a thread of curiosity through a sometimes compromised sense of reality as I wish to access the uncommon, the ambiguous and mysteries hidden to the view of everyone. Within it, any symbolism is incidental.
Symbolism in the rescue of the creative is acceptable in so far it takes a back seat in the process, otherwise it amounts to a mere attempt to manipulating the viewer. Symbolism is only valid if it brings an ambiguous quality to the artwork. In ambiguity mysteries lie, truths are in constant becoming, and realizations are never ending.
Art as realizations
The creation of works of art in a utilitarian world becomes a realization process when the quest for control and rationalizing is abandoned, at least, temporarily. Art is neither a ritual nor a cure; it’s a confrontation. A ritual implies a covenant; a cure implies the search for a remedy; and a confrontation requires abandoning pretences and facing up to defeat along the process. I can’t do art without the feeling I have nothing to lose.
It requires surrendering to the process without capitulating along the way. Art for me is neither a negotiation nor a solution but a realization process that occurs where dreams meet reality. That zone is an edge where I feel unsafe, and risks have to be faced. Each of us has his/ her own edge.
No symbols
There are no symbols to represent such realizations, which happen during the artwork conception and execution stages. This dynamic is valid if the intention is not compromised; an Artist does not please anyone but himself.
The finished piece may abandon the creator carrying along with it his inspiration, never fully revealing the core mystery; or it may become an obsession from that moment on and for some time.
There is no certainty in the creative process, especially when ambiguity becomes subject and object. Where there is uncertainty, there are creative choices.
Art as poetry
Duality, fuzziness and the poetic are not merely visual tools but a deliberate attempt to suspend the tyranny of reason for an instant to allow our imagination to break through. A drama in words requires lengthy words; a drama in brush strokes can impact a viewer in an instant: such is my ambition as an Artist.
Art and fear of the unknown
In the creative process, nature must abide by the laws of creation of the artist because only the Artist can transform matter through the clarity of his vision. It is necessary to prevail over fear of the unknown for the product to emerge, as fear usually directs us to trodden paths and the obvious. The turmoil is constant and the process exhausting. Then, success is exhilarating.
Art as a participatory experience
A connection with the individual viewer is rewarding, especially if it happens in unexpected ways. Such viewer may become a mirror of the Artists’ soul: another soul who unknowingly participated in the process.
Tradition vs. convention
Every day reminders show the tyranny of reality and reason: certain things cannot be negotiated but accepted.
Tradition and convention can be considered limitations upon which we act (or not). However, convention is a stifling factor for an artist because it punishes transgressions in subject and style. Tradition, on the other hand, supports limitations as they ordain us into freedom of expression. Pretending to be free in a vacuum or outside reality is absurd.
Tradition supports transgressions when they go against attributes presented as convention masked under expression. Expression is not enough for bringing forth a new message or a different sense of reality. Limits show us the direction into freedom.
However difficult it may be, desire drives my impulses despite these limitations. When this acceptance takes place, the experience becomes expansive. Almost everything is possible as long as I am here and now fulfilling my dreams.
​
Toronto, 21 April 2021
#Alberto_Martorana
#Alberto_E._Martorana_masterworks
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#Alberto_Martorana_Oil_Paintings
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#Ambiguity
#Art_as_realizations
#No_symbols
#Art_as_poetry
#Art_and_fear_of_the_unknown
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#Tradition_versus_convention