Taher Jaoui
Creating captivating, technically demanding work with a strong inspiration from the abstract expressionism movement of the 50s and 60s, Taher Jaoui's paintings are rich assemblages of layered forms, vibrant colors, expressive gestures and mathematical signs and formulas. Applied to canvas through dynamic interaction, a physical back-and-forth dialogue in which perspective and orientation continually shift until all elements are properly balanced, these opulent creations are the artist's personal way of expressing himself.
Through a series of spontaneous movements, directly inspired by the way the canvas reacts, we compare his work to a dance routine with a familiar partner. By being impulsive and unconstrained in its execution, familiarity with the materials is essential to the creative process, which relies heavily on the ability to react quickly and anticipate how the elements work together. Layering pastels, oils and acrylics, the artist accentuates the richness of her work by building a raw texture that directly captures the physical energy put into each gesture. Serving as a channel to convey her thoughts, emotions and visions, artistic practice is Jaoui's source of confidence and peace, while the finished work becomes a documentation of the process of realizing these feelings. With no academic art training, his artistic practice is influenced by African primitive art, graffiti, glitch art, the COBRA movement and the philosophy and movement of post-war abstract expressionism. Varying from simple shapes and motifs on familiar forms reminiscent of abstract skulls, to a blackboard scribbling sections, the canvas surface becomes the working space through which the artist exercises his modes of expression.
The concept of constructing something from a variety of singular elements is a result of computer and engineering studies, parts of which come to life through abstract mathematical signs and formulas sometimes incorporated into Jaoui's mesmerizing compositions. This element, along with the spatial vision of the surface, again makes a strong link with early abstract expressionism, concepts that took into account the ideas of quantum mechanics in their conceptualization. Working regularly on a large scale, the works that are exclusively constructed in an automatic or subconscious manner, in fact require meticulous planning and use of space and materials. While balancing her thoughts and feelings while creating, Jaoui's work carries that rebellious, anarchic, highly idiosyncratic and, some might say, nihilistic feeling, while still constructing an infinite number of interpretations and experiences dependent on the viewer.
The artist's works
