What Others Said...
|
What Others Said... |
|
This exhibition is the culmination of themes and approaches explored by Michael Schur over a 40 year period. It shows consistency and develops various themes taking them to a natural conclusion. It is a brave show in that it puts the artists oevre on the line to be scrutinised. Michael Schur is a colourist who develops his colour by layering various pigments over each other. this gives gives work a richness. It is a great tribute to the artist that he has been invited to hold the first exhibition in this new venue. I wish him and Petru all success with this venture.
At Coleman's, Michael Schur is showing oil paintings. His pictures with the theme of musicians are the best of what he is doing. They have some style and he makes good use of figures, guitar and mandolin forms.
Michael Schur is exhibiting at the auditorium of the Temple Emanuel (Oxford Road, Parktown), is rather handicapped by the non-gallery atmosphere of this venue (not-so-good lighting - little wall space, necessitating somewhat crammed picture presentation), for his virile paintings of often-vivid tones needs space for more "tranquil" appreciation. Then, too, Schur's choice of work is (again through necessity) rather limited to his smaller efforts that hardly illustrate his best ability - intricately-evolved decorative panels which pulse with bold colour and are more deliberated - from the point of view of composition. At this absorbing show, Schur tends to give only facets of his
art - often more immediate, spontaneous statements of an expressionistic nature (that
could be termed "flash impression") which hardly reveal the dedicated aplomb
that so characterises his larger, more important paintings. What is a touch emphasised in
this collection is Schur's colour vibrancy and "alertness" to the paintability
of every style of subject (from scenes in Israel) to scenes in Johannesburg's Yeoville -
or of the Braamfontein Spruit), with gusto and determination often striving to bring
sometimes-not-very-worthwhile subjects to vivacious life.
Schur Creates His Paintings Slowly.... To build a landscape slowly - layer upon layer - taking shape from the paint on the canvas, is a difficult and laborious process for most contemporary artists. Not for Michael Schur. It is the craftsmanship that is so striking in his work exhibited at the Wedgwood gallery in Johannesburg. "I like a process that reduces the speed of the thought process. The slow development of an image and the visible layers layers of paint are what draws me to oil paint", days Schur. He recently retired as lecturer at the Technical College Manu in Dobsonville and had previously lectured in advanced oil paint techniques in Israel. Schur who mainly paints landscapes, dancing figures and music themes, admits that he doesn't like instant art. His inspiration comes from the masters of impressionism and post-impressionism. "I don't like tricks that are changed into short lived fashions". He had studied the art of oil paint techniques since the fifties, at the St. Martins School of Art in London and other institutions. "It is an endless study if you do it properly. Although I have experimented with other mediums, I always return to the texture of oils", he says. Schur's nature and music themes relate to his technique. "I want to accentuate the quality of life rather than the misery. We can be uplifted through our interaction with nature, The same with music". His early paintings were influenced by Gothic architecture and is reminiscent of lead painted windows. His love of music had a rhythmic affect on his brush strokes in particular. He combines his rhythmic lines and colours to represent the harmony of nature. The works on display is a visual journey through the last twenty years of Schur's art career. The artist, who held countless exhibitions in Israel, chose his personal favourites for this exhibition.
|
|
Copyright © 2006 Michael Schur All Rights
Reserved |
