Abstract Art

This collection developed from the figure drawing and classical art

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Figure drawing
Figures in Form
Reflections on humanity

Retrospective collection 09

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email: samira@samiraharris.com

 

Water World

 

Water World

This is a true story Samira told about a visitor at the Edinburgh Exhibition which illustrates the process of the abstract work:

"During an exhibition at the Edinburgh Festival a man came to my display and said "Do you mind me saying something?"

"No, go ahead" I replied.

"Well" he said "it's all a load of crap really isn't it?" I laughed and said "What's a load of crap?"

"These paintings" he said "it's just a bit of paint thrown at the canvas, anyone could do it."

"That's great" I said "I would love everyone to do this. Why don't you go home and try. Experiment a few times throwing paint at the canvas. What you might discover is that sometimes the results are fantastic and other times not so good. And you might start wondering why sometimes it's great and other times not and why the people who see your creations also generally have the same concensus about which ones are good.

From this you might start to understand that there are natural laws of harmony and as you carry on creating you might start conciously engaging with the creative process as something inside you realises that putting a little blue in this corner balances the gold on that side or the spacial qualities in the middle are supported by the depth of the details around them. The more you create the deeper this intrinsic understanding becomes, the forms start to show you what is needed and you find yourself in total joy and awe at the nature of the materials you are creating with and how natural it is to understand the laws and patterns of nature, of harmony."

"Oh," the man said "that's amazing, that is"

"Not a load of crap then" I replied

"Did I say that?" Asked the man.

"Yes" said his wife with a wry smile. "

 

 

Yin-Yang

This colour work developed from years of working with just black and white form examples of which are shown to the right.

 

Ying Yang

 

 

Path to Heaven

I am in a space where I feel everything,

The fleeting impulses that can not be held,

nor questioned or rationalised.

The images that rest in each of my cells replay...

As my body's chemicals spin their sweeping tunes

And the natural desires surge

For sensuality and form...

Stiring me physically to engage with that which I am...

A being in strength and beauty and truth and love.

 

So the line twists and turns, like the dancer's thighs,

And the inky water washes over singing songs of the sky,

My fists pound down

As an anguished face flashes by,

And the emotions of death bring tears to my eyes...

 

Till I remember life, the evolving plan,

The Nature,

The nature of all,

All that I am,

The images sub-consciously forming,

Till they push for release

In the perfect way they are exposed

On a previously blank sheet.

So it is, as it is, an expression of me,

To remind me of how creative,

I am designed to be!

09.03

Lines of air

Movement of Time

This picture is just as it seems, light dancing lines on a background of ink wash, to Samira art does not have to be complicated to be effective. This image to her represents a journey from left to right in which at the beginning the background is darker and the form has been lost. As the background lightens the form is able to establish itself. It represented the ending of a period of depression in which she started to feel that she was finding herself again.

Peace circle

 

 

Peace Circle

Samira says she often comes across people who are mystified and even intimitated by art and most people will say "I know nothing about art, but I know what I like and don't"

Samira feels that the art market has been comprimised by all the deception which deliberatly sells an illusion and confuses people. When Samira talks about her work she will ask people to translate it and show how this relates to her intention.

The pictures to the right and the left are good examples of two images to compare. Both have been done with ink and water on paper in a just few moments. But both have a different atmospheres which we understand universally.

Everyone Samira has shown these images to agrees that one image is calmer, more contained the other is more explosive. Art has the power to cross cultural barriers, language barriers, education. Imagery is all around us all the time and we are a lot more sophisticated readers than we give ourselves credit for.

 

 

Explosion

celluar structure It took years to go from black and white to colour!

Samira spent over 6 years only doing artwork in black and white but when she was inspired to create with colour the results showed both an understanding of their heritage and a new dimension.

 

Each element is in the perfect place

To create that which totality designed

Stare into nothingness till all is apparent

 

SH 05

Divine Feminine

"Absorbing the Renaissance understanding of nature's laws of harmony somehow took the chaos from my mind and reordered it so that previously disparate elements slipped into their given pattern." SH 04

Da Vinci copy on canvas