Featured Artist Tarek Montasser

Egyptian artist Tarek Montasser embraces the dramatic power of light in his paintings, create paradigms between light and shadow, object and space. Visit his website to see more of his work.

 

 

There is clairvoyance in painting. “Clairvoyance” translated literally from French means “clarity of seeing.” I paint to see clearly. See what clearly? The visible is self-evident, but beyond it there is the invisible.

 

 

“Clairvoyance” has archaic occult connotations. Painting is an ancient tradition preceding language and reason. It still is part of that way of perceiving the cosmos through myth and magic. There is alchemy in painting; transforming dead matter into light and meaning.

 

 

I am the light seeker. Not the absolute blinding light of the victorious sun at noon, eradicating darkness and denying shade and shadow. Someday, who knows, I might be able to look straight at the sun in all her glory, I am Egyptian after all, but not yet.

 

 

My light is a shy, dim crepuscular light that casts long substantial shadows. Light, as it sneaks stealthily on darkness, barely pulling being out of nothingness in that instant after “let there be light.”

 

 

It might be said that I am as much about shadows as I relate deeply to Plato’s cave allegory. We live in a world of shadows and silhouettes, and in painting we can only bring light to our blindingly white starting point by adding darkness. Therefore, “Let there be darkness—darkness within darkness—the source of all light.”

 

 

I work in oils and acrylics at the same time. I need the speed, energy, fluidity and directness of acrylics; but I also desire the chromatic subtlety, richness and depth that can only be achieved by oils. These two mediums have obvious implications on my process.

 

 

I begin all of my work with an impulsive, quick and aggressive outburst in acrylics with larger size brushes. After I’ve created this almost abstract substructure, I then explore, elaborate on and evolve my image through oil paint and oil bars.

 

 

I feel that this process builds a contained tension in the work, a history of making, an archaeology of layers, a resonance and a depth that allows it to survive the first look and to keep revealing new aspects of itself to the viewer over time.

 

 

At least that’s what I hope to achieve.

 

Artist Tarek Montasser invites you to follow him on Facebook.

 

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