| JOHN HARO | ||
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IT WAS SO Kamishly, 1976-1988 A little boy views his surroundings in sepia, in a place where romance veiled it self. I grew up in a city where nature and architect elected to reserve their display of color and beauty. The grass and trees were scarce, and the houses were all made of mud bricks or cinder-blocks. I remember, as a child, once gathering for a picnic around a single tree. Did this serve me at a later date, and did it set the foundation for my appreciation of color? We’ll find out later. Also, in that part of the world, the display of romantic affection was regarded as a sign of weakness. Not to say that love and affection were absent, but simply, the outward display of them was a foreign act. Where am I going with this? SITTING ON A RED BENCH NYC Studio, 2007 A French Artist and a Young Movie Director One evening, in Feb of 07, a French artist and a young Mexican film director stopped by my studio for a cup of wine. The artist I already knew and with him he brought this young film director from Mexico—who happened to be visiting the city for a few days. After a brief introduction they both sat down on my red bench, which I have in my studio; I sat on a chair across from them. We talked for a while and at some point in the evening the director started to study my work with “Untitled #1-05” catching his attention. I’m not sure how, but all of the sudden, as if I was not present in the room, a discussion began between the two of them. So I sat there quietly, listening in to a very mesmerizing discussion between the two. I will share with you a couple of comments this director made. He, still gazing at the same painting, commented to the French artist, “...I see a lot of romance in his work and figures of women are detectible throughout. …I can tell he’s very well familiar with his feminine side. He seems to have the ability to relate to how she feels in her natural way and bring it out in his work. Yet at the same time I feel as if he’s trying to hide all this from us, as if he’s scared to bring it out and share it!” The discussion continued a little longer and was concluded by the artist standing up, and signing on a piece of napkin “John, it’s a pity you were not here.” He then handed it to me as if I had just walked into the room. HOME SWEET HOME Childhood Parents, Siblings, Expectations & Reality I’m a twin. My sister and I are the youngest of four children, to parents Neil and Janet Haro. We were raised in a Christian home with parents that nurtured and provided for us to their fullest ability. We lacked nothing; yet when the time deemed it right, our parents decided to leave behind everything they built and come to the United States in order to establish a better future for us. While I credit my artistic side to my mom, she always pushed me to find a more stable career. That is the case with most Middle Eastern families. Doctors and lawyers are on the top list but few other things are also acceptable. I went along and made it to my 2nd year in college. But as reality eventually kicks in I found myself drawn more and more to the artistic world. At the age of fourteen I held a job in a café next to an art gallery; it was a place where I spent a lot of time, learning and absorbing different art and artists. I would credit that event of my life to unlocking my desire to becoming an artist; it was there that I took the first steps to pursue art in the years that followed. ART & ARTISTS Discovery Making of an Artist, Studies and the Worthy Question Is someone born an artist? That question is often asked. My simple belief is this, while you may decide not to be one you can not decide to be one. Schooling is another pondering question! For me, I never had the opportunity to pursue an art degree. Was it a necessity? Does it make an artist? Does it establish him or her? Of course not, otherwise we’d have to scrap some major names from the history of art. I simply look at it as an accelerator to obtaining your education. But like many things in life there is usually more than one path to reaching your standing; and this applies here. The last ten plus years have been a great journey for me. I’ve read, studied, tried out, and conversed in the way of art, and all these things have been my education. The question you need to ask of an artist is this, do they offer a unique and personal voice in their work. If the answer is yes, then their realization has been achieved. DISCOVERING A VOICE Inspiration Influence, the Subconscious Mind, and the World Around You What influences you? What were you thinking about? What inspires you? I’m often asked these questions. If you ask those who know me well you’ll discover that I’m generally a quiet person. I prefer to listen than to talk and to observe the world around me. I seek beauty in persons and in things—I refer to the outward beauty at this point—which are a great inspiration to me. Beauty of a woman, fashion, design, and color are my outward inspiration, experiences and life events are the inner ones. Am I sometimes scared to delve deeper? Am I scared to display or share things? Do I keep that part a mystery? Perhaps! Perhaps the young director expressed it well earlier, but it’s not for me to dwell upon. When painting, I mostly start with an individual color or shape. It’s what my subconscious mind has returned from musing over the events and experiences of my life. When I am done with a painting, it would usually remind me of that certain event or experience which I then use to title the piece. THE SUM OF ALL THINGS My Voice Expressing it All, in Simplicity I recently narrowed my work and voice to a simple descriptive statement that ties everything together, and that I now use as an expression; that statement is the “Romancer of Color.” I believe this very well expresses it all. What is next, where am I going from here, what does the future hold? It’s yet to be determined, but I hope you to tag along with me in the coming years. |
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