Irfan Ajvazi
Irfan Ajvazi is a visual artist, sculptor, draftsman, photographer, and printmaker based in Europe working in the fields of painting, sculpture, drawing, and new media. His artworks can be described as minimalist and intimate, as he investigates the concept of presence. Ajvazi draws upon a diverse array of source material, including personal photographs, movie stills, queer archival images and ephemera, and art history, infusing their approach with both figurative and abstract elements.
I usually compare this to traditional sketches. I take snapshots, without looking for a special photo. I photograph a motif or figure that catches my eye and interests me. When I paint a picture, it is then that I compose—I find a figure interesting and search for something that goes together with it. At the end, the work is put together from different sources. The medium of photography plays an important role of course, since it allows you to capture moments you could otherwise not capture—simply because of the speed of the camera. But at the same time, it is difficult to distinguish, since the artistic process is influenced by a number of things—things that have influenced me, such as film, commercials, media in general and art history.
Irfan Paintings
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The artist's approach to integrating photography with traditional sketching techniques offers a compelling dialogue between instantaneous capture and deliberate composition. By taking spontaneous snapshots of motifs or figures that catch their eye, the artist embraces the immediacy and versatility that photography affords, capturing moments that might otherwise be missed due to the limitations of human perception. This process resonates with Baudelaire's exploration of modern life, where the essence of an era is reflected through its transient expressions in fashion, architecture, and social attitudes.
In the act of painting, the artist meticulously composes the final work, juxtaposing different elements to create a cohesive whole. This method reflects the layered influences of contemporary media, from film and commercials to broader art historical contexts, enriching the artwork with a multiplicity of meanings. Baudelaire's essays highlight the dual nature of artistic creation, where the fleeting and the eternal intertwine. The artist's challenge, akin to Baudelaire's, lies in capturing the timeless essence amidst the transient, navigating the complex interplay of beauty's contingent and multifaceted nature. This synthesis of the ephemeral and the enduring ultimately speaks to the broader quest in art to reflect and distill the essence of the human experience across different mediums and epochs.
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Sfumato Team