"To produce a beautiful work of art, above all other considerations, is my main concern. If the concept, design, technical application, and balance of the painting all work together - the power of the composition will shine through, and the energy of the work will inspire the viewer." - Mick Tarel
Tarel began experimenting with painting as an expressive medium at the age of 14. Born in New York City in August, 1949, the culture of his time and place encouraged artistic expression and creativity. The visual arts in America were approaching new and exciting horizons. Expressive freedom from several new schools ranging from Pop to Minimal found outlets in music, theater, cinema, and early television. Not unlike the explosion of interest we see in today's new technologies, developing artists of the fifties and sixties were learning to apply new ideas, media, and concepts to an already explosive visual art scene. Every aspect of life from art to politics was changing - becoming more modern and innovative, daring and challenging to understand, create, and apply.
Tarel's early works were investigations in photography and painting. His traditional artistic education included three years at The School of the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts. Thereafter, his work was represented by the Neill Gallery, SOHO, New York City. After a period of concentration on participatory art, in 1990 Tarel returned to painting. While living in Japan he created a series of works inquiring into the relationship between the sacred and the ordinary in Japanese daily life. The Sacred Garden exhibition in July, 1990 at the Shoto Gallery in Tokyo was comprised exclusively of paintings - free form shapes of canvas painted with encaustic (wax-based) medium.
Since then, Tarel has used a variety of media in his art. His current pieces are mixed media on paper or canvas, including acrylic, oil, and encaustic paint media, color silk screened paper, and occasionally photographic images. These are built layer by layer until the work is finished. These compositions share similar aesthetic qualities: the use of color, shape, texture, and materials work together in a complex rhythm. The combination of composition and technique has evolved over many years.
Tarel believes that the works exhibited here exclusively in The Electric Gallery represent some of his most powerful compositions to date. The dimension of each composition flows along three primary planes - the textured, painted surface; the flat photograph or solid color of silkscreened paper; and the geometric shapes twisting and floating throughout the scene. Viewers explore these planes at different speeds and depths. While Tarel's works will no doubt continue to evolve as the artist explores new and exciting dimensions of creativity, The Electric Gallery is pleased to be able to present the latest examples of Mr. Tarel's art.
Click on the image of the artist above to go directly to his paintings, or you can take a walking tour through the Contemporary Art Wing or take a shortcut to move among all the rooms of the gallery. These paintings are available for purchase from The Electric Gallery. We'd also appreciate your giving us your comments on our presentation.
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