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Massimo Audiello is pleased to present Untitled Lebanon, a solo exhibition of the works by John Jurayj on view Thursday, November 3 through Saturday, December 17, 2005. Opening reception is Thursday, November 3, from 6-8 pm.
John Jurayj has worked extensively employing his natural gift for making paintings and drawings; a re fined hand and impeccable taste can be helpful for achieving beauty, but when the task is to make art they can actually become an impediment. John Jurayj has given himself the mission of reaching that part of creativity that feels more real and effective, without denying his obvious estheticism.
Memory has become the instrument through which he filters his skills. By way of an almost analytic process, Jurayj has directed his attention to the assembling of images of Lebanon, his lost country. Through landscapes of an Arcadian nature or cityscapes of bombed buildings, Jurayj revisits the feelings of loss, abandonment, and desire, adding a political fiber to what could be a Proustian interpretation of memory as a lost paradise.
The result is one of a seductive ambiguity. The blue skies and the luscious meadows rendered in an impressionistic style melt down in abstract expressionistic blobs; color-coordinated optical juxtapositions obscure the brutal image of a bomb blast. How much should be remembered and how much should be forgotten becomes a difficult task and art becomes the perfect tool to swim through these dilemmas.
Before this current show, John Jurayj received his MFA from Bard College in 2005 He has had a White Room at White Columns in 2000 and has been included in various group shows in New York City. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn.
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