THOUGHTS

SHAUL KANAZ - TALKS WITH HIMSELF ABOUT ART IN GENERAL … AND ABOUT HIMSELF

The world of art today is perplexed and one finds it difficult to name specific trends. On the one hand there is a search, as in the past, for a main stream that has developed out of successes in the past. On the other hand the world of art enjoys the freedom of not having one total leading artistic truth. If I must categorize myself, I think it's possible to say that what I try to do is social art. Not political social art but an attempt to contemplate man's position in a free world that has more temptations than ever. A world in which we meet unlimited options and man has to protect himself against this freedom that is overpowering and threatening.

I believe that plastic art is not a good way to communicate complicated ideas. It is the only type of art in which the whole creation is displayed before the viewers' eyes all at one time, in one split second. The whole journey that the artist went through is displayed in one swift glance.

I try to stimulate the viewers' imagination, thoughts, words and associations to enable him to take part in this journey and speculate on life's experiences, struggles, loves, hates, dreams etc.

Am attempting to participate in life through creative means while leaving the viewer enough space to find himself in the complex world surrounding us. I'm trying not to fully understand what I am saying.

I talk about people - talk, not take pictures, not make copies. Man and Woman are the basic cell of human "togetherness". For me they symbolize the ability or lack thereof, to live in a society, among people, in a family. The tremendous freedom that humans enjoy in this society of plenty, civilization and technology, confuses our senses and creates illusions of a kind of life that is beyond the abilities of man's soul to grasp. The "new" man, the digital, internet, free man, experiences life by pressing on a key wherever he looks, a slave to technology which he does not really understand. Coming home he expects love, security and comfort like in the past. He misses the feeling of relying upon old familiar values. The encounter between the sexes which refuses to give up love and empathy becomes a difficult and confusing one. Complete freedom is tempting and threatening. This new world in which almost everything is possible is overpowering.

I try to express my feelings, thoughts and fears through discussion. I hope people will find in my works something of their private pain in this most beautiful, amazing and complicated world in which we all live. I also believe it is legitimate if people find other associations in my works. As far as I am concerned, it is important that people not try to understand art as a story, but be open to new experiences and give up the old desire to understand.