Curators: Micky Tiroche and Naomi Malka

9th June- 28th July 2017

 

“In my youth, I met a Gypsy. I asked him his age and his answer was 'I do not have time or age.' I understood that I met a free man” Arnon Katz

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Omer Tiroche Gallery is proud to present the exhibition Fuck The Meaning by Arnon Katz, a high-tech entrepreneur, real estate developer and in recent years, a talented artist. This exhibition will explore the liberation of humankind from the endless search of meaning. Victor Frankl's book Introduction to Logotherapy: Man Seeks Meaning: From Death Camps to Existentialism deals with humans longing for meaning and exemplifies an existential analysis that focuses on the pursuit of meaning in order to self-medicate life’s horrors and deal with the question of our existence. In his book Frankl argues that modern man has lost his purpose and suffers from "existential emptiness". However, in his work Katz investigates this need whether it is a necessity and a direct product of realism or a social convention that is imposed as a millstone on the neck of human kind.

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Katz's mother, a painter and a mystic, used to paint in a realistic style by studying her surroundings. As a result of his upbringing, Katz’s curiosity towards the spiritual and creative world grew throughout the years. He views art as an inseparable part of the evolution of society, religion, philosophy, and science. In his work, he seeks to break through the boundaries of culture and perception while constantly challenging himself by stepping out of his comfort zone. He follows two basic rules; constant creation, commitment to a daily creation in the studio and visibility of his works. Katz posts his pieces on social media in order to create interaction and discussion around them. These rules lead to an evolutionary progress that seems to burst out of the wide range of works he creates. Thus, one can see a gradual development in his art. At the beginning of his artistic process as an autodidactic painter, he stuck to figurative painting, observing the object, imitating reality and searching for meanings in the artwork. Once he began to master the technical and aesthetic aspects of painting he faced additional challenges. The abstract started to take place on the canvas which grew with his confidence in the making process. Today most of his works are abstract and of great dimension.

Transitioning from a planned creation to a spontaneous and abstract work whose final product is unknown, was not a trivial transition. For Katz it is an ongoing internal struggle which at times transforms his studio into a "battlefield"; An area of ​​ fury breaking through his own concepts, striving for the absence of meaning and painting through the nothingness. This leads to the creation of a new world on a clean new canvas. The use of the paintbrush has been replaced by kitchen utensils, car wash equipment, nets, fabrics, etc. The acrylic material requires quick action, creating new textures and a powerful sensory experience and with the viewer’s reaction towards the paintings, all of this fascinates Katz and constitute fertile ground for new questions and methods to explore. His disquiet restlessness leads him to create outside of the conventions of "Fine and Hight Art", he does not commit to a particular style or movement. Katz avoids the use of oil paints as they take time to dry, unlike the acrylic paints which suits his state of mind while in the battle field of his studio. He creates with and from his impatience and produces art that is not captive to the search of meaning, freed from a distinct definition and constant.

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Katz publishes his artworks on social medias especially his Instagram account (zorba2012), they can also be found in several galleries in Israel and in the homes of his friends in Israel and England.

All the proceeds of the exhibition will be transferred in full to Sifrei Mafteach, an association that promotes reading in Israel: www.keybooks.co.il .