Paul Hartel
From New York, now living in the West of Ireland, I paint and draw in neo-expressionist and art brut styles with oil, acrylic, oil stick, pastels, charcoal and pencil. I believe in art for art’s sake and the veracity of spontaneity.
I think of my work as celebrating the spirit of the ‘inner child’ while commenting on societal issues through an improvisationally eviscerated energy. I believe my work yields a spontaneous truth, not to be mitigated by hesitation. I subscribe to a raw sense of urgency I feel parallels the excitement of life and all its accompanying intellectual, emotional and existential vicissitudes. Only with the viewer’s perception, is the artwork complete. In the 'Windows Series,' the paintings are more minimalist but draw on raw emotions and spontaneous gestures. Utilizing vibrant acrylics and bold pastel strokes encapsulated within structured pencil lines, I've explored human differences with each segment portraying a different facet of expression, inviting interpretation and introspection. These pieces serves as a visual dialogue on the spectrum of human feelings and individuality with frenetic strokes and elemental shapes to capture the complexities of human expression and implication of thought. Each face is framed yet fragmented, symbolizing our struggles with identity and self-perception in a world filled with chaos, demanding order. These paintings vibrate with an intensity yet simplicity of feeling.
