Decision, A True Artist

Decision, 18X24 Oil on Canvas, Fall 2007
This master piece was the commencement of my career as a professional artist. The contents of this painting symbolizes the deepest and crucial decisions as an artist, whether to practice the classical style of painting which included, realistic figures, religious and academic themes, and different genre from the 15th, 16th, and 17th century or to practice the style of modernism, including, abstract, impressionism, cubism, expressionism, and many other styles that derived from the 19th century to the modern days. These two styles are represented in the painting by two different groups of scholars. The one on the left side bottom represent the classical period of artist where the main aspect of painting was the perfection of its contents. This perfection is interpreted by the way the figures are dressed realistically in classical tunic while interacting in a dialogical manner. In addition, the chessboard above the crow also represents the perfection of perspective and the mathematical process of it. On the other hand, the crow in the right side represents the modern period of outstanding artists and their styles. The figures are portrait with innovating dark blue outfit such as, hats and suits. The dynamic and bright colors of the platform above the modern spectators represents the avant-garde movement that transformed radically the manner in which society view art in today contemporaries - art should be an inner expression of one’s own perception of the world, therefore it has to be review, not by its realistic appearance, but by the essence of the artist’s inner expression toward his reality.
The emptiness between the two groups of spectators is meant to be the place where you, as a viewer stand and review the entire content. It gives you the opportunity to take part in the decision of choosing the style that fulfills your expectation as a critical thinker or as an art lover. Moreover, looking right at the empty space, there is a person whose gesture symbolized the question of “what do you think of this painting?”
On the dynamic platform, a man stands with his index finger pointing at the sky while with the other hand he claims for an answer to the question of “which style do you pick”. He resembles a teacher, a mentor, a scholar, a leader, an academy, an entire society that demands one true style of art, one choice to make, one way to go – like there were no others styles to choose. As a true artist, I picked my own style. I paint absolutely the essence of my soul, the uttering of my solemn thoughts, and the effusing of my transcendental and divine world. I want to see with the eyes of my soul, I want to see beyond of physical appearances, beyond races and cultures, philosophies and ideal, and beyond everything that make us(human) being separated from the entire universe and its harmonious contents.