Past: Michael Azgour / Perceptualism

GF Contemporary invites you to an artist reception to meet painter Michael Azgour and view his new works, Friday, August 16th, from 5-7 p.m.

My recent paintings are inspired by contemporary photography, the mechanisms by which we interact with abundant sources of imagery, and the subjective perception of reality. I juxtapose seemingly unrelated imagery and application methods as a way to exemplify the discontinuity of social interaction in the face of digital culture. Expressive colors and geometric shapes emphasize the picture plane in contrast to representational depth cues and narrative. Transparency and masking techniques, which reveal multiple layers of paint, make the art-making process a subject in itself as viewers begin to focus on the abstract building blocks of the piece. Dichotomies are frequently employed as a way to highlight distinctions. Light emerges from the darkness, the crude becomes delicate, and the abstract becomes real.

Although we live in a globalized world in which so much is standardized, the customs and values differ immensely from one country to the next. I am interested in developing a visual language that speaks to our current experience of exposure to and integration of new technology and the persistence of traditional values despite changing global trends. My work references moments of transition, the inevitability of change, and the uncertainty of memory. Together with a strong influence of art history and contemporary themes, my work is informed by a deep-rooted interest in social and perceptual psychology, a reverence for modernism and color theory, and my personal experience as an American living abroad in Eastern Europe.

Please join us on Friday, August 16^th, from 5 to 7 p.m. at GF Contemporary, 707 Canyon Road, Santa Fe.