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“It’s sort of like being the world’s slowest printer. It’s very satisfying to see the finished product but sometimes it feels like engineering a work of art rather than painting it.”
Nurturing a Visual Language of Geometric Abstraction
Danny Jarjour is a painter and digital artist hailing from Montreal, is renowned for his distinct creations. Focused on abstract geometric paintings, digital designs, and prints, Jarjour seeks to express himself through the compelling language of visual artistry. He brings a lifelong passion for the arts, one that has been nurtured from an early age. While his youthful creativity was primarily channeled through drumming – a discipline he studied, honed, and continues to enjoy – his artistic fascination has always been deeply rooted in the visual arts.
A pivotal turn in Jarjour’s artistic journey came in 2016 when he began exploring geometric abstraction more earnestly. The influence of significant figures in the abstract art world, such as Carmen Herrera and Victor Vasarely, is distinctly evident in his work. He was particularly moved by Herrera’s asymmetrical color blocks and Vasarely’s language of patterns and repetition.
Jarjour’s artistry has been consistently centered on developing a unique visual language that resonates with his personal style. By employing patterns and repetition, he fosters a sense of coherence and identifiable aesthetic. However, he simultaneously appreciates the charm of freeform designs and actively resists the confines of rigid symmetry, creating a dynamic balance in his artworks that is wholly his own.
Danny Jarjour: Embracing the Performance of Art Creation
In the early stages of his artistic journey, Danny Jarjour elected to concentrate his efforts directly on large-scale canvases, eschewing traditional sketch-based practices. This marked a distinctive contrast to his experience as a drummer, wherein the majority of his time was invested in practice, with a minor portion dedicated to public performances. In the realm of visual arts, however, Jarjour turned this paradigm on its head, choosing to emphasize the ‘performance’ aspect of art creation. By courageously confronting the vulnerability associated with public display, he sought to engage his audience by promptly sharing each finished painting on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
Jarjour initially pursued a hands-on approach, manually conceptualizing and developing his ideas before transposing them onto canvas. But as his concepts grew more intricate and his artistic voice matured, he began integrating digital tools into his creative process. These new technologies enabled him to expedite his workflow and experiment with elaborate patterns and vibrant color palettes more efficiently than traditional methods. Consequently, Jarjour found his output of digital paintings began to significantly surpass that of his manual efforts.
Recognizing the potential of this emerging medium, Jarjour expanded his sharing practices, incorporating his digitally crafted creations into his public portfolio. This evolution marked another significant milestone in his continuously evolving artistic journey.
Translating Digital Designs onto Canvas
While it was not initially in his artistic plans, Danny Jarjour now makes some of his most cherished digital designs available for purchase, seamlessly blending them with his traditional canvas work for his discerning collectors. His primary artistic impetus lies in the vivid translation of these designs onto the physical medium, a process underscored by a vibrant color palette.
When encountering a Jarjour painting for the first time, one cannot help but be captivated by the depth of the hues; each achieved through the patient application of multiple paint layers. Jarjour’s detailed methodology sees him transferring his initial drawings onto the canvas with painstaking precision, ensuring dimensional accuracy to the finest degree. Each line, whether straight or curved, is meticulously plotted and secured by tape to maintain a crisp edge; no strokes are left to the whims of freehand artistry.
Ahead of time, he carefully prepares his color mixtures, guided by his original designs. This attention to detail helps preserve the fidelity of his colors, making them as proximate to the original palette as possible. Upon completion, as the tape is removed, Jarjour often finds himself amazed at his creation; a testament to his rigorous process. This process is so immersive that at times, he feels almost separate from the work, viewing himself more as a facilitator or the world’s slowest printer, diligently drawing the sketch, blending the colors, and placing the tape.
Though the outcome is deeply satisfying, the creation of his work occasionally feels more akin to engineering a masterpiece than painting one, emphasizing the precision and detail Jarjour invests. Reflecting on the striking contrast between the meticulously executed front and the hastily scribbled signature on the back of his canvases, the artist acknowledges this discrepancy as a testament to the integral role his process plays in the realization of his art. His signature, though seemingly chaotic, truly underscores the calculated reliance on his method to bring his paintings to fruition.
Danny Jarjour: Crafting Art with Precision and Detail
Operating from a quaint, personal workspace at home, Danny Jarjour has crafted his artistic journey thus far with notable satisfaction. The comfort and convenience of this environment, while gratifying, is not without its limitations. Jarjour harbors aspirations of eventually transitioning to a dedicated studio space. This will offer him the flexibility to delve into a wider variety of materials and mediums which might not be ideal for a domestic setting. Jarjour is confident that such a professional studio environment would provide the requisite stimulus to elevate the quality of his work, allowing him to hone his craft further and produce superior art.
Art, without question, has been the compass guiding Jarjour’s trajectory in life. It has not merely influenced his choice of domicile, but also the friendships he has cultivated. His journey, though personal and unique, has been shaped and steered consistently by the power of artistic expression.
With a vision of having his artistic creations displayed in numerous galleries worldwide, Jarjour imagines an enriching experience that involves journeying to unexplored locales and establishing connections with diverse individuals through his art. Regardless of the path his aspirations might take, his ultimate objective remains unaltered – to persistently create, evolve, and share his art with the world.
