A Journey Into Abstraction
From an early age, Roy Aurinko felt an urge to explore realms of expression that words simply could not reach. This drive eventually led him to embrace abstract painting as his preferred medium. To him, abstraction offers a bridge between the seen and the unseen, a method of translating raw emotions and life’s unpredictable impulses into a form and texture that resonate without representing. Aurinko’s works pulsate with a visceral energy that bypasses literal depictions, inviting viewers to feel rather than to decipher. This abstract approach, he shares, enables him to capture fleeting emotional states and complex inner experiences that are difficult to articulate yet unmistakably powerful.
Aurinko’s journey into art wasn’t immediate; it took years to solidify his vision and understand his motivations. His drive is rooted in a desire to transform emotions into visible elements without compromising their mystery. Painting became a sanctuary, a place where he could explore the intricate layers of human perception. For him, abstract art does more than merely capture ideas—it gives shape to life’s chaotic impulses, manifesting them in ways that communicate directly to the viewer’s senses. Through each painting, he strives to convey these ephemeral emotions without constraining them to recognizable forms, allowing his audience to experience the work’s resonance personally.
His early fascination with abstraction continues to drive his art forward, yet it is his unique approach to translating emotion onto canvas that makes his work stand out. Each brushstroke, each layered texture serves a purpose, embodying an emotional nuance that shifts in intensity across his works. For Aurinko, this approach isn’t just about creating beauty; it’s about constructing an experience where viewers can confront their emotions as they immerse themselves in the textures, colors, and rhythms on his canvas.
Roy Aurinko: Embracing Spontaneity and Materiality
Aurinko’s artistic process, which he likens to jazz improvisation, thrives on spontaneity and movement, allowing each piece to evolve organically. Rather than meticulously planning or sketching out each piece, he engages in a dynamic flow that propels his creativity forward, granting each work a unique life of its own. As he explains, his brushwork varies from fluid, delicate strokes to harsh, nearly carved lines. This combination of precision and roughness brings an unpredictable energy to the canvas, a vibrancy that Aurinko considers essential to his craft. His use of multiple mediums—acrylic, oil, pastel, and cement—further enhances the unpredictable nature of his works, giving each painting a distinct, tactile character.
Among these materials, cement holds a particularly intriguing place in Aurinko’s process. He is drawn to its primal, tactile quality, which adds a weight and texture uncommon in traditional painting. Cement, as he describes, carries a symbolic connection to the human experience—part of the constructed world we inhabit and something deeply rooted in everyday life. By blending cement with paints, he achieves a textured, almost sculptural surface, inviting viewers to engage physically as well as visually. This technique allows him to evoke natural processes, like erosion and decay, which further ground his art in the organic world and hint at themes of transformation and renewal.
Through his textural approach, Aurinko brings a sense of physicality and dimension that transcends the flatness of the canvas. The tactile quality of his work challenges viewers to experience it through a multi-sensory lens, drawing them into an immersive exploration of the painting’s surface. He hopes that this sense of physical connection bridges the gap between his art and the viewer, emphasizing a shared existence within a continuously evolving world. By doing so, Aurinko allows the audience to feel part of the chaotic yet meaningful system he creates with each piece.
The Scientific Eye Behind the Canvas
Aurinko approaches painting with a mindset reminiscent of scientific inquiry, drawn to the rigor and curiosity inherent in scientific processes. His artistic exploration, he explains, parallels the scientific method, where theories are formed, tested, and revised in pursuit of discovery. This process of experimentation is central to his work, as he often tests interactions between different materials, observing the effects each medium has on the others. This approach instills in him a fascination with iteration and refinement, allowing his pieces to develop organically as he studies them from various perspectives, ultimately letting the painting itself guide him.
The artist’s scientific influence is not merely metaphorical; it is an integral part of his technique. Much like a researcher, Aurinko experiments with materials and textures, often embracing the possibility of failure in pursuit of something groundbreaking. Each mark, each stroke holds the potential to redefine the piece, as he remains open to the evolution of his work with each layer and adjustment. His scientific approach also brings a sense of calculated risk to his art—an element of controlled chaos that propels the piece forward. This element of risk, he believes, is essential in art, as it keeps his creations alive with tension and energy.
In embracing this risk, Aurinko welcomes an unpredictability that fuels his creativity, allowing for new pathways to emerge as he builds each work. His curiosity drives him to experiment beyond traditional methods, creating a dynamic relationship with his materials that resonates with scientific exploration. The tension he cultivates between chaos and order gives his work a brutal beauty that both challenges and captivates the viewer, sparking a sense of wonder at the alchemy of his layered, textured compositions.
Roy Aurinko: A Dialogue Between Personal and Universal
Aurinko’s art serves as a canvas for memories, both personal and universal, blurring the lines between individual experience and shared human themes. His works often channel childhood memories or moments of emotional significance, infused with themes drawn from broader cultural concepts like Greek mythology and the idea of the sublime. For him, these universal themes act as layers within his compositions, intertwining with personal reflections to create a complex network of meanings. However, he is careful not to render these themes overtly. Instead, they lie hidden within the abstract forms, encouraging viewers to draw their own connections and discover meanings that resonate with their unique perspectives.
This balance between the personal and universal is not about direct representation but about invoking an emotional response. Aurinko wants his art to serve as a mirror, reflecting the viewer’s own memories, emotions, and associations. His references to mythology and the sublime invite an introspective journey for his audience, one that explores timeless themes of beauty, chaos, and the unknown. By weaving these influences subtly into his work, Aurinko creates an open-ended experience that leaves space for viewers to insert their interpretations, fostering a personal connection to each piece.
The physicality of Aurinko’s work further enhances this connection, transforming his paintings into layered terrains that echo natural processes of growth and decay. The layers, pressed and carved with a sculptural touch, evoke the accumulation of memories over time and the intertwined relationship between body and environment. His earthy, organic palette reinforces this theme, grounding each painting in a reality that feels both intimate and expansive. In crafting these deeply textural worlds, Aurinko challenges viewers to engage not only with his art but also with their own reflections and connections to the physical world, fostering a dialogue between artist, audience, and environment that lingers beyond the gallery walls.
