Reflections

Aida Stolar

THE CONCEPT OF MY ART

Ever since I was a child, painting, plastic arts, and esthetic expression have been my means of connection with my surroundings and the language I have used to express my innermost feelings.

As a young pupil, I was chosen to represent my school in the art exhibition at the “Subte Municipal” in Montevideo. My father, a lover of art of all kinds, encouraged me to pursue my interests, and thanks to him I never lacked for any drawing materials: color pencils, watercolors, oleos, and what not. I still cherish the box of 120 pastels that he bought me, even though after all these years they have lost their luster.

Those early years were years of realistic expression of my surroundings. I was too young for abstraction or expressionism. That came gradually with maturation and the passing of time.

Despite my inclinations and wishes, life steered me away from the expression of what was bubbling inside me, but twelve years ago I was able to return to my great passion. My aspiration is to put onto white paper or canvas that which moves me about what I see. My feelings command my mind and my hands to paint, shape, and express the spirit and moods inside me. The expressionist series, for example, clearly represents the world as I see it.

My creations develop from inside outwards. They do not copy reality, nor do they merely touch it up with personal tones. They reflect my own emotions. That is why the use of mixed media is so important to me. By combining oil and acrylic with minerals, molding paste, tiles, threads, paper or carton, and collages, I can lend a three dimensional reality to my works. The common denominator linking all of my works is texture, which pours out of me fluidly and magically as I work.

I believe that artists see reality in different shapes and colors, and their expression reflects their view of the world. That is why they interpret the different aspects of the objects and beings that comprise their work in a very personal way. My work, too, is the result of emotions, feelings, ideas, and thoughts that have impacted my inner being. Once the public sees the work, however, the composition is reinterpreted through what they see and feel.