Steven DaLuz
VL
VISUAL LANGUAGE
contemporary fine art
VL
May 2013 Volume 2 No. 5
VL
Studio Visit Steven
n DaLuz
VL
Studio Visit Steven DaLuz
I am most interested in imagery that evokes a “feeling” within the viewer--whether figurative or non-objective, even if the viewer connects for only a brief moment. While I like intellectual stimulation in a work, I am more concerned with emotionally evocative work that sparks the imagination. I aim for this usually with properties of ethereal light, elements of mystery, and the sublime. Entwining images of light, serenity, and calm against darkness, tumult, and chaos is what I like best. It presents a kind of metaphor for life’s journey. Lately, I think spirituality has crept into my work. Not religious, per se, but a kind of subconscious “yearning”. I don’t fight it. For me, the pure beauty and power of art need not explain anything. The raw image alone can be enough to pose questions and ignite the viewer’s imagination.
Beacon Black Lake 41
59
StevenDaLuz.com
z
StevenDaLuz.com Threshold
I am equally interested in abstraction and figuration, so I embrace it. It is simply how my brain is wired. Most of my “abstractions” are only partially abstract, in that they refer to something real or that could be real. I like to create the “idea” of a place, whether steeped in reference to landscape, or to celestial forms. As I paint these, I am transported to another realm in my mind. Because they are entirely from my imagination, I just allude to the notion of some environment that may allow the viewer to bring up a memory of someplace they have been, or would like to be. They have a vague recollection, but the place is not literal. The ethereal properties of light suggest a source that can be otherworldly. Light has the ability to reveal...and the capacity to blind. Is it the sun? Is it from within? Is it beyond? I leave that for the viewer to decide. By creating voids and vaporous depictions, I increase the likelihood the viewer will complete the picture for themselves. In synthesizing the figure into some of these works, I engage my passion for painting the figure...but, I also believe that because we are humans, we relate to the figure. If I disguise features, or obscure identity, I allow the form to become more universal. In doing this, I hope the viewer can relate to the figure and imagine themselves in such a setting.
Studio Visit S Steven DaLuz
Mythos
I find myself thinking about matters that go beyond our understanding of this physical realm. Even the w some unconscious, spiritual component to it. The longer I live, the more I have come to believe that every is connected. I can barely begin to fathom the great depths of the mysteries the cosmos offers, yet we are a are more than this physical “shell” that is our corporeal body. The idea of a “one-ness” between humankin become something of a fascination for me. I do not try to supply any “answers” to life’s big questions with to visually express some of my thoughts and feelings to hopefully engage the viewer’s ideation. I think the ing” that we have, as humans, to know that we are not alone in this vast plane of existence. I try to pull th to reveal just a glimpse of something that could be. But, that is the beauty of art. It has the potential to m
61
stevendaluz.com
Steven DaLuz
work I create now has ything in the universe a part of it. I believe we nd and the universe has h my work...I simply try here is a kind of “yearnhe veil back just a little make our spirits soar.
stevendaluz.com
Becoming
StevenDaluz.com
Studio Visit Steven DaLuz
Descent 63
stevendaluz.com
Siren Song
Born in Hanford, California, Steve’s art studies were interrupted by a decision to serve as a medic during the Vietnam War era after just one semester at San Antonio College. While serving in the Air Force, he completed a BA degree in Social Psychology, and an MA degree in Management. Throughout, he remained devoted to making art in his free time. After living 13 years in other countries, DaLuz retired from the Air Force, and re-engaged his lifelong passion for art by resuming studies at San Antonio College, where he completed an AAS in Graphic Design, followed by a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 2003, with a concentration in painting from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His paintings and drawings have been featured in art publications such as; American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur, Poets and Artists, and Strokes of Genius 3: The Best of Drawing. His work is represented by AnArte Gallery in San Antonio, TX; Laura Rathe Fine Art in Houston and Dallas; and The Marshall | LeKAE Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. Website: www.stevendaluz.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/daluz.art 64