Rudy
Azzola

Mission statement

To invite the viewer to connect with their inner self by allowing their intuition and authenticity to engage with and respond to my paintings and teachings, rather than trying to interpret my work intellectually. Only by regressing to our innocence can we find the truth and wisdom we were born with. All the answers we need can be found in our own hearts if only we dare look, not in our heads and certainly never externally. My aim is simply to teach people how to see.

My philosophy and art practice

After decades of working in various artistic disciplines and feeling like I didn’t fit into any particular box or category, I found it necessary to invent my own genre which I call ‘Emotional So-Realism’. The work, although pictorially very real, has hints of surrealism, expressionism and, at times, leans towards the abstract, but the undercurrent is always the human condition, and more specifically, the plethora of emotions that constitute the basis of our being.

Metaphor is the language of the artist, and a shortcut to the subconscious. The subconscious is the surest path towards the magic of creativity. The soul cannot live without meaning. Art without meaning is purely decoration.

As an artist, I see my role as an investigator of the essence of being human. From ecstasy to despair and everything in between, my passion is to explore and expose our strengths and weaknesses in a visually stimulating way.

My devotion to the craft of painting started out as a somewhat self-indulgent pursuit; however, over time, it has blossomed into something far more profound, and now I see that the purpose of my work is to enlighten, inspire, and even heal. Strange as it may seem, the reason I paint is not for monetary gain, but primarily because I love the experience of creating stories that come from the subconscious and therefore take on a magical dimension.

With a strong attraction to the natural world, both the animal kingdom and the wisdom of indigenous cultures also inform my work. Driven by authenticity, my intrinsic belief is that artists are the spiritual caretakers of the earth and all its inhabitants. In my recent book, entitled “Artists: Visionaries and the Custodians of Integrity” (awaiting publication), I explore in depth my understanding of the role artists play in our society, and my personal perspectives and philosophies on the importance of art in keeping humankind honest and on the right track. It also goes into detail about how an artist can make the best work that they are capable of by tapping into their inner wisdom and imagination, and hopefully realise their true potential.

Additional to a full-time art practice, I have been privileged to be able to share my knowledge through various teaching roles. Apart from tutoring a range of techniques, my priority has always been to promote originality and imagination. But ultimately, it is through painting that I find I can reach my audience most intimately and across as broad a spectrum as possible. My work is now part of the school curriculum which means that I can finally put away my teacher’s hat.

In a convoluted world that has to a large degree lost its way, my art seeks clarity and acts as a mirror to society, in all its manifestations.

Although aesthetically seductive, the intent of the work is aimed at eliciting an emotive or subconscious response from the viewer, unlike conceptual art which requires an intellectual or rational interpretation. I see my work as a bit like fishing: in order to catch a fish, you need a lure and a hook. My paintings are ‘alluring’, capturing the attention and curiosity of the viewer, but then once they see past the decorative and intriguing facade, they are confronted with a deeper meaning that may not appear obvious at first. This is the hook. Having connected and identified with the meaning then the decoration becomes secondary and even superfluous. This kind of understanding is only possible when we trust our emotions to guide us. As the work is created intuitively, so too must be the response. Any attempt at understanding the work intellectually is futile.

A large body of my work borders on the surreal or semi-abstract, at times even decorative and quite detailed. The primary focus, however, deals specifically with the human condition. It fascinates me to receive feedback from people who have various interpretations of the same painting. Each person has their own unique soul and takes from the art the emotion that speaks to them individually.

That said, I paint simply to satisfy my own thirst for understanding, without a conscious attempt to please an audience, as that has proven to be a recipe for disaster.

Some may argue that some of my conceptions are “confronting”, which to me speaks more about the viewer being somewhat in denial. However, I look upon them as “revealing”. It is the choice of the viewer whether or not they allow themselves to connect or be affected.

The energy that I channel from the universe is focused on creating stories that serve to awaken those who have succumbed to the darkness created by the overwhelming dependence on technology and mass media, whose sole purpose is to frighten and manipulate rather than to enlighten.

I see a humanity which is crying out for meaning and direction, but instead seems to be engulfed by a general malaise of helplessness. I see my purpose as an artist is to redress the imbalance and expose issues such as the negative impact of technology and AI, global anxiety over warfare and climate change, inequality, discrimination, and poverty, both physical and emotional. With this in mind, the work is strong on narrative and rich in meaning. Each painting deals with a new perspective or a different subject. Unlike many artists, I am not motivated by “popularity, saleability, or cohesiveness” per se, but more interested in maximising specific imagery in a unique way that best exemplifies the particular issue at hand. For this reason, the work is quite graphic and detailed, with a strong use of colour, metaphor, and allegory.

Although the viewer may not agree, I don’t see my work as having a particular ‘style’ as such, simply because I choose to let each particular piece dictate the style it needs in order to best represent the feeling or meaning that it is trying to convey. Style and aesthetics are best suited to those who are concerned with satisfying a more mainstream niche.

I try not to consciously plan a painting. I simply let it evolve, from where I don’t know and don’t want to know. It feels like a spiritual force that somehow manifests through me. Maybe that’s why the pictures are so powerful and moving. I feel very privileged to be the one chosen to push the brush around. My understanding is that art is a “collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does, the better” (Greaves).

My paintings are not meant to be literal interpretations or explanations, nor do I have any interest in fiction, fantasy, or other forms of escapism, but moreover, I am concerned with sharing a heightened sense of reality. I also see intellect and knowledge as poor substitutes for intuition and traditional wisdom. The former can only lead to banality, repetition, and even mediocrity, whereas the latter is infinite and is the natural playground of the imagination.

More often than not, some of the work could be labelled as being ‘esoteric’ or ‘enigmatic’, that is, unfathomable to the general population who, to a large degree, try to understand art intellectually. The audience that I seem to attract, however, is usually the more open-minded who allow themselves to connect on a spiritual or emotional level, that is, the more enlightened or those who are able to relate intuitively.

The title of each piece is hugely important, and a clue of what it means to me, and throughout the process of its incarnation, it changes and evolves organically, acting as a steering wheel or compass until the work is fully resolved. Even when the work is completed, I am often not fully aware of its true intrinsic meaning, which may only crystallise at some point in the future when I am ready to understand. On the rare occasion, I will paint something that is almost like a precognition of what will happen in the future, as in the case of Gaza or the Trump/Putin phenomenon. Sometimes I feel like I am looking at the world as if it were a crystal ball, and that I have been blessed with the grace to be able to see what many either cannot or simply choose not to see.

Emotion plays a vital role in my work because, as much as we hate to admit it, we are emotional beings. Unfortunately, technology and social media have created a society that has forgotten the inner beauty and inherent wisdom that we are all born with, but readily exchange for expediency, conformity, complacency, and the incessant need for validation. The greatest compliment I can receive is that my work has moved the viewer deeply, but that they are unable to explain why, or that they have never been able to connect with their inner feelings about a certain subject until they stand in front of one of my paintings.

Because the work is unique, I have deemed it ‘priceless’, meaning that I don’t place any material value on it. I have chosen to only show my work in public arenas as opposed to private galleries because the latter is geared toward ‘marketing a product’ and attracting buyers with more money than art sense, rather than people who genuinely love art. In general, I find the gallery scene quite superficial and disingenuous, catering for investors and the rich, rather than showing art that actually means something.

I see the role of the artist as an educator, a vehicle from which the viewer can learn about themselves and the world around them. I have no particular interest in profiting financially from my paintings as I don’t see them as a commodity. I worked professionally as a graphic artist for most of my career, but since craftsmanship was unfortunately replaced by digital technology where everything started to look the same, I made the decision to uphold the integrity of my unique and individual talent, and since 1997 have focused solely on painting. Fortunately, circumstances have allowed me the freedom and the wherewithal to do so. Through years of practice and exhibiting my work, I have now learned to paint for myself, first and foremost. The minute the artist starts to create for an audience is when they stop being authentic, forever second-guessing themselves, and ultimately becoming creatively bankrupt.

And finally, but most importantly, my faith and hope of a more peaceful and loving humanity are the fundamental principles that guide me. In a world that has become dominated by left-brain thinking, it’s time to loosen the reins and give the heart some oxygen. After all, that’s where the important answers are, not in the head. That only leads to chaos and craziness.

I don’t see it as my job to supply the answers; only to ask the important questions. It’s up to the viewer to interpret my revelations in their own unique way. In difficult times, we always turn to art to show us the way back home, to our authenticity, something neither science, logic, nor drugs can do. Art can save someone’s life when all seems lost. I know because it saved mine. Along with nature, it is the most potent healer known to mankind. Let the healing begin, I say.

That is, and will always be, the beauty and magnificence of art; to show a better way forward.