Page 13 - Leon Oks : Dreamscape
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adult who reminisces about the difficult times of creation. Encouraging such a deconstructivist
and in the same time manages to filter these interpretation of his artwork is proof that Oks
experiences and to re-connect again and again is not afraid now, more than ever, of what the
to the beauty of a life and a landscape, without audience might tell him, but on the contrary,
and hard feelings. is looking forward to the input because it can
The reverence for nature and the landscape only mean an enrichment of his own creation by
where he grew up, which is a recurrent theme allowing multiple readings.
in his paintings, is in competition only with his Oks’ paintings are standing proof, if one needs
deep admiration for women. The female figure any, that while his life was dedicated to artwork,
is another one of his ubiquitous subjects, and he also felt that it is his duty to share this vision
it is not a particular woman, but the concept with the ones that were fortunate enough to
of womanhood itself and the underlying be able to appreciate it. The freedom the artist
connection between the female symbolism and experienced when he moved to the US in 1980
nature, the primordial rhythms of life, that is was an unexpected chance to explore at the full
in the focus of the artist, in paintings such as extent the themes that had been of interest for
‘Sunset Dance’, ‘Sound of Silence’, or ‘Orchard’. him all through his lifetime, and one can feel
Known for his preference to work with models, that despite the dark moments in his past, he
Oks represents the female not as a subject, but remained forever an optimist, and with every
more as a primordial energy, who is also a brushstroke, every shade of green, blue, or
catalyst for his art, resplendent in a beauty that purple, every silhouette, every little house and
transcends boundaries. The representation of every tree, every silhouette who coalesces
the female form is a nexus of flowing lines and from the vivid background, his paintings seem
swirling color, who only serves to emphasize are an ode to the beauty of life and celebrate
the fact that She is at the center of creation, and the freedom of the artist that transcends the
essential to our survival as a species. boundaries of time.
Leon Oks strongly believes that the main More than ever, in a world which is invaded
appeal of his artwork stems mainly from the by the digitized image, by the copy of a copy
fact that it encourages the viewer to transcend of a copy, one feels the need to see painting
reality every single time, in order to bring in the tradition of the great masters, one that
together in the mix valuable personal emotions, preserves, as Walter Benjamin explained, the
which serve to activate the hidden layers of aura of originality. And this is what Leon Oks
meaning encoded in each painting: his artwork generously offers us: not a digital print, or a
encourages the viewers to deal with their own collage, one that is just a copy of something
emotions and visions and shape each painting we have seen in a hundred other places. On
into a personal journey, to unblock thoughts that the contrary, it is exactly this originality
one might not even be aware of. It is not only a which stems from every brushstroke that is so
viewing experience, but more likely a dynamic fascinating, and the pulse of an artist who is
relationship between the artist and his public, always there, ready to take the next challenge.
who must be willing to work together. That
means also being able to perceive and purge the
inner tension which comes across, and which Dana Mann
has been sublimated by the artist through the act New York, June 11, 2006
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