Michael Khoury
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INTERIOR WITH RED ROSES ARTIST STATEMENT: With our awareness of the beginning of the third millennium, we suddenly become conscious of time in a new way. We all try to come to grips with the accelerating momentum of our lives and strive to take control. We wonder with renewed enthusiasm at the inevitable changes to come; the quiet, personal revolutions that will continue to fabricate our lives. In my effort to express through painting, I become aware of my past. The uncertainty of the future allows me to appreciate further the experiences that shaped me. Thus, I always look forward to the future with renewed enthusiasm. Often I reflect back to my various readings on the history of art; to those familiar paintings created by so many artists who have left us a legacy of their personal vision of their life and times. Since the dawn of man, humans have had the need to express themselves in some way, to translate on some surface a glimpse of a sad or joyous moment in their experiences; whether it was a free and unbridled expression of their imagination or a careful series of commissioned portraits, the need to share this experience with others was of the utmost concern. As an artist, I am bound by my enthusiasm to express. It is the means by which I learn to understand myself and my relationship to my fellow man. Art is both a companion and a consolation along an journey toward personal growth and understanding of the world around me. Through my art, I begin to see the truth about myself and the reason for my being. The person's imagination can constantly be tested by ongoing experiences. Whether it is through a piece of classical music, opera, a good movie, other artists, a beautifully designed dress, a poem, I never cease to be inspired. We make seemingly final 'statements' as we develop, but it is most certain that the appetite of one's imagination is never fully satisfied.
I believe that artists, to be in total harmony with their expression will, in the end, succeed only through the use of the tools by which they express themselves best. To this end, I have adapted to my preferred method of painting with oil on canvas. It is not enough, however, to be able to adapt technically and succeed in learning to do so. An person is an artist only when he or she has a passionate desire in their expression. It is certainly important to understand the craft, but the craft without the passion does not make an artist. I am always encountering new creative energy in order to become a better artist. For any artist, the development toward a style takes years of constant work. I enjoy directing and engaging the viewer by associating the right balance of colour with line and form. Nothing is haphazard on the canvas, but through this order, and the reaction of the viewer, a certain connection between me and my work will emerge to form a ‘style', a certain visual consistency which will naturally emerge in the work. I'd like to think that my style will always evolve as long as I'm painting. For me, there can never be an end to the pursuit of creativity. This then, defines what is art for me; it is taking the obvious and the familiar and expressing it in one's own way. For my art to be successful, it is not necessary for it to be controversial or unsettling, but rather to touch the viewer in some personal, emotional way. Michael Khoury 2007
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