INTERVIEW YIGAL OZERI

1. When did you understand that painting would be your life?
I could tell a story about this, one day when I was in kindergarten, when I was 5 years old, I ran home crying to my father. He was surprised that I came home alone, and asked me what happened. I told him that the teacher hit my fingers, my father was so upset he went back to the school with me to talk to the teacher. He asked her what made her do such a thing. She said your son was disruptive in art class and didn’t follow the class guidelines. She said this because I would obsessively draw pictures of black suns. My Father kept these drawings, but he never understood them, my teacher didn’t either. Studies now show, my behavior in art class indicated a clear artistic tendency.

2. Any family help?
My family heritage comes from Paris, Morocco and Yemen and I have always been interested in seeing if any of my family members were artists. I checked back seven generations and the only thing I found was that my father played the accordion his brother was a very famous trumpet player that drew a little bit. My biggest influence was my neighbor, who we used to visit every week on Saturday for a family brunch. He showed me his hobby of painting images from a famous encyclopedia and I was amazed by that. He began teaching me how to sit and copy images and that became my weekly ritual of visiting him on Saturdays and painting together. I remember the first time I copied a Breugel painting. My family still has it.

3. Formation?
The history of Israeli art is influenced by the Lyric abstract Paris school, most of my generation painted interiors of abstract, like Zaritski, Streichman, Lea Nikel and other generation like Raffi Lavie, Schlezniak and Greshoni
These artist may be anonymous to you, however I grew up in a generation that was influenced by these artist and abstraction. In Israel there is a notion of “poor art”, that everyone grew up with which means that the works were made mainly on paper, using pencil, there was no history of figurative work because the Jewish religion forbids painting figures. The difference between the synagogue and the church is that the church has figurines as part of its interior, and the synagogue does not. I believe because of this I have self thought my skills little by little and transformed my ideas of collages of architecture through paintings of empty dresses to a big series of “Un-built America” which was a combination of drawing collage. The first change happened when I was in NY and saw the Metropolitan museum, this was the best school for me. I went every week and looked at two pieces from the collection. I thought to myself that whatever it takes, I want to paint figures even if it scares me. At the age of 40, when artists are usually more settled in their ways of expressing their work, I got the courage to change and paint the figure. In the end, it was my desire and energy that pushed me to paint figures.

4. Why did you choose to live in NY?
In the middle of the 80’s Patterson Sims who was the curator of the Whitney Biannual and Marge Goldwather who was the head curator of the Minneapolis museum arrived in Israel with Mary Evangelista, a woman who’s dream was to create a show of Israeli art in 20 American museums. All the galleries in Israel created special exhibitions for them, waiting to be called for this rare opportunity. The Israeli art scene was surprised by the selection of these curators because they selected only the emerging and unknown new generation which I was part of.
At that time I had my studio in Tel Aviv inside an electric power station, which was very unusual. It was there I worked on the “Un-built America” series. I was working in Tel Aviv and painting New York. The curators invited me to the opening of the show at the University of Chicago. I will never forget the moment where 2,000 people came to the opening and people asked me for my autograph. For me, it was a big change of perspective, I fell in love with Chicago, but felt like it was time for me to pack everything and to move to NY.

5. Description of your studio ?
My studio is in a building called “The Phun Factory” a famous building near PS1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City, NY. The buildings exteriors and interiors are covered with graffiti art. My studio is 5,000 square feet and has views of the New York City, which are remarkable panoramic views.
I have eight assistants working with me it’s like a contemporary Renaissance studio, big canvas’, watercolors, oil paint and the rest is just 00 small brushes.

6. Did you always work in oil working? In the last 8 years I have worked mainly with oil paint. I am very well known by my works on paper, my etchings are in many major collections including The Albertina Museum in Vienna. I have oil on paintings in the Realistic Museum in Holland, Scheringa Museum. Today, my specialty is that I work with oil on paper, like people work on canvas’, which is very difficult, but I also work a lot with canvas as well.

7. What’s « New realism » for you ? That is a very important question which I will try to answer.
The new Realism that I represent, I call “High definition” this is a new term that a lot of critics use to describe my work these days. The first association of high definition is television of course, but it’s not only like that. I start each series as though I am making a movie. The pieces that I had done of Priscilla in Ecstasy, part of Small Death, (the show I am having in Marseille in March,) started in the rain forest in Costa Rica. I asked Priscilla to play the role of a contemporary Ophelia by Millas. Priscilla herself has lived for the past four years in a forest in Maine, truly living like a hippy, with a group of people. When I asked her to play this role, she didn’t know who Ophelia was but she went into a stream of cold water, which was freezing cold, like zero degrees, and basically preformed in front of our eyes, ecstasy, a small death and came back to life.
My work starts like a real performance and then it becomes a film. We then took the video, downloaded into a computer and used it like it was reality. I don’t work like an artist using a model in front of him and paint, which is an academic style; I look at the model like a scientist, like a director of the film. I see every movement of her skin, her personality; every detail of her face is in front of me. I use video and photography and then I erase photography. I am trying to create paintings that could be on the same level as real life, until you can smell and feel the breathing of Priscilla.

8. Any admiration for other contemporary painters?
I live in this world, this time, there are a few artist that I like that are still trying new things and surprising you by their energy. I like the contemporary artist that just passed away. Andrew Wyeth. and I know that it is metaphoric since he was 91 years old. But, I think that he is an underrated artist that lived most his life in Pennsylvania and Maine and was disconnected with the center of contemporary art and painted in an honest way. His model, his surroundings and his ability to use small brush in tempera paint could be compared to Leonardo De Vinci. Another artist that I admire is Lucian Freud, I am sure this comes with no surprise, again an artist that paints his closest friends and his own environment. I also like the young artist that lives today, Marilyn Minter, more contemporary artist dealing with the notion of beauty, her works are borderline photography.

9. What are you thinking of the world crisis?
That’s again a hard question, I am both an American and Israeli citizen, right now it is a difficult time for both countries, I think that now the Bush administration is over, we have big hope with president Obama, a leader that grew up not in a rich or elitist family and managed to climb his way to the top of the pyramid. Changing the situation of the world, giving a lot of hope to the young generation to get interested again in politics. For the last thirty years young people have not been involved. The feeling in America is that even amongst the economic crisis is that there is hope for change. Obama faces several very difficult problems. The economic crisis that is happening inside the country. A big fear is that they may try to nationalize the banks, and this is going to change the entire face of America. The regular people will be happy from that because their money will be insured but the companies and rich people will not be as happy. A very problematic issue is Iran, with their nuclear weapons, which is a huge threat for the entire world. The Israeli-Palestinian crisis, I think after what happened in Gaza; Egypt, America and especially Saudi Arabia will be much more involved in the Palestinian every day life. They will give money to rebuilt Gaza and not use this money for weapons, and I know that this is one of the first priorities for Obama. I am like any Israeli wanting peace, like we have with Jordan and Egypt. After 60 years of bloodshed it’s enough and for the first time I feel like there is an opportunity for that to happen.

10. And the future of painting?
In the world that we live in, with so many crises and so much excitement the revolution of the digital medium, I feel disconnected today to look at abstraction or minimalism. I think that great art is a reflection of life and if you judge American art the most distinctive memory is Pop art. It is a good example how art is a reflection of life. I think that with everything happening in real time, like what’s happening in the film industry, Painting will go to a more psychologically charged subject matter, less of a dream and more of reality.

11. Are you working on Human Portrait? and what’s a portrait for you? Are you a portraitist?
I deal with portraits yes, but on a deeper level. I am more interested in a phenomena of young people that are going back to nature, returning to the nature as a source. I am interested right now in people that live completely different than I do, without a steady paycheck or address, like nomads. They are not forced to be homeless rather they choose this lifestyle, for me they are the “New Hippies”. Priscilla is one of them and she introduced me into that world. People that are very aware about what they eat and wear, and are not obsessed with money. I am fascinated by their lifestyle, this is why I paint them. I admire them because I don’t have the power to live like they do. For me this is the new portrait for our society

12. How can you explain me your strange mix human-nature?
I grew up in an urban environment. I was always afraid of nature and could not stand to be in nature more than two or three hours. Nature for me was an unknown feeling without any beginning or end. I was even afraid of visiting Central Park. A lot of artists use art to deal with their fears. For example, when I painted pigeons, I dealt with my childhood fear of pigeons. My fear emerged from my grandfather, who grew pigeons and used to hold them on my chest as a young boy which terrified me. When I got to NY I kept seeing the pigeons at my studio window and I decided to face my fear and paint them. The fear of nature went away when I created the series of Priscilla in the rain forest. I saw a woman that was one with nature and then I realized that she was not afraid to die, she could come back to earth, and her connection with nature was so complete that I was extremely touched by it and it helped me overcome my own fear. And I felt that nature in a way swallowed her and brought her back.

14. What about mythology reference?
There was a text that is written in my Genesis Catalogue written by Ktzia Alon and Dalia Markowitz, They write” The erotic text of the Song of Songs is viewed in the antitheses to the story of the Garden of Eden. The literary expanse unfolded in the Song of Songs presents an idiomatically equal text. As Ilana Pardes notes: “This equality corrects the patriarchal model that was posted in a different garden e.g. the Garden of Eden. The Song of Songs produces symbolic equilibrium between the lovers, male and female.” … “Ozeri’s painting exhibits the fierce sexuality that nature extracts form the human body. The protagonist of his paintings intertwine, like Shulammite’s voice, between branches, twigs and loose, moist soil. It is as if her body relishes the physical contact with nature”
(You can also find more material on this in my catalogue “Genesis”. Sam can send you this in the mail, or we might be able to email you the text.)

15. Do you think it could be possible to reach a same « perfection » with a camera?
I think the camera is a tool, like a computer is a tool, but my painting has a different energy. I look at the model as though I am looking through a microscope or a large magnifying glass. I see far and close-up all with the same clearness. I am trying to bring the technique of the high definition camera world into my work. I am working with a few assistants that are specialized artist in doing different parts of my paintings. Some specialize branches and vines, and some specialize in skin-tone. I am like a conductor; I combine all the different energies together. It’s like the philharmonic having many different musicians and when it sounds right, it sounds like one powerful piece. I think about the idea, I create the scene in the right environment, its like a performance, then I transform it on my computer, then like in a primitive way, I put this on my canvas with small brushes and oil paint.

16. Does it possible to speak of « Ophelia »?
Of course there is a connection to Ophelia. All the Pre-Raphaelites, especially Milla, influenced me. The idea that a community of artist living in nature is fascinating. Priscilla in life never heard about Ophelia, however she is a contemporary Ophilia. In Milas painting it is more tragic, Ophelia dies with the flowers in her hands, but in my painting, my Priscilla wins the nature. She comes up from the water and dances naked freely into the woods.

17. What is your life « philosophy »?
My life philosophy is that everything in life is built with a lot of details. My mission as an artist is to educate family and friends about how to feel art, especially painting. To educate new collectors about art is a big mission of mine, I am always surrounded by people I bring with me they support me and I educate them. As an artist I always have to keep myself free and fresh. To change, to always look for new ideas and not to repeat my old painting is crucial to my painting philosophy. Artist like Philip Guston is a hero for me. He was a very established abstract painter, and one day he woke up and wanted to paint the figure. He dropped everything and did what he desired. All his collectors and supporters left him because he changed his style, but because of that he contributes so much to American art because he listens to his heart, even when he died miserable, poor and lonely. I do what I believe and nothing comes easy. I work hard in every single step of my life and I never stay quiet.

18. In another way: music, film…what are you liking?
I like more intimacy in music and in film. I like the musician Leonard Cohen, he is basically a poet that writes music, not a great voice, but he has great lyrics and emotion. He is more romantic but there is nothing wrong with that because we need it.

19. Can you give me a self-portrait in « words »?
I am a hard worker, a romantic, a Rock and roller from the 70’s, obsessive and a big optimist.

20. I’m thinking that your « look like » romantic ans soft work, is in fact very violent and very deep…
I think that is very interesting.

21. Why are you so impress by the hair?
The society that we live in usually doesn’t like hair. Men and women always shave the hair from their body. Hair shows a symbol of sexuality and power and every one wants to stay mute and look equal or the same. Hair for me represents the roots of a tree in connection of growing nature. Cutting hair is like castration, I have fear of castration, cutting my hair is like cutting my sexuality and cutting my energy.