Venice Chair

ARTIST STATEMENT

“Physical objects are complexes of sensations. An individual object in painting is an essence. A particular subject matter represents ultimate reality. Objects are in quantitative relationship with their backgrounds, where they exist.

Old objects are living memories, meaningful definitions of time and reality, and existence can be understood consciously through a vanished past. Kant’s concept of a ”thing in itself” is a psychophysical or metaphysical reality of an object.

On the formal side of the painting, the equivalence to time passing can be seen as authentic blotches or patinas on an object’s surface. Furthermore, the background characteristically contains a gallery of faces – disappearing or looming as contemporaries of all those memorabilia.

All works are exploring time not as a physical quantity, but as an esthetic parameter and depict the sublime motion of human nature.”

– Israel Broytman

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Moscow, 1939. Israel Broytman graduated from the Moscow Institute of Art in 1960. In 1966 he moved to St. Petersburg (Russia’s cultural capital) where he continued his artistic career. His early works focused on traditional Russian life.

In 1980 he moved to Canada, where his works became increasingly more metaphysical and universal. Broytman’s unique style was developed through his use of traditional techniques and newer innovative concepts and subjects.

Initially his works were figurative and focused on images of women. Later his works focused on portraits of everyday objects. His paintings express feelings and memories from his past; stark and lonely objects are surrounded by life and warmth.