Meet the Artists - Rory Coyne

Save the Date!!! Chicago Artist Visiting San Diego! RORY COYNE Meet the Artist on Saturday November 5th, 2011 6 pm http://www.rorycoyneart.com/Coyne_Art/Allegories.html rsvp AS@alexandersalazarfineart.com 619-531-8996

ARTIST STATEMENT- Rory Coyne # # # In a world run by technology and instant gratification, I am grounded by a tradition implemented by generations of Master Artists.  Using techniques influenced by Old Masters, such as Rembrandt, Whistler, and Sargent, I create allegories that speak to issues of private contemporary society.  The symbolisms created within my work, stem from personal experiences in day to day living, often using animals to signify emotions and reactions in relationships.  These ideas then begin their arduous evolution from my sketchbook to the final canvas.  Contemporary, yet timeless, myths expressed by emissaries of familiar faces of family members, friends, and colleagues.  Why Myth? Because it connects us to the world and one another. It negates our differences and embraces what we actually are, human beings. We all descend from tribes and have comparable origins, and as the same species, have similar reactions to our surroundings. Myth stems from within us and is molded by culture. It is a response to our everyday life and embellishes certain details to express a greater truth. My images come about in a similar way, what I perceive to be in the spirit of my earliest ancestors. Through my work, those close to me become divine beings without actually being divine, and their stories are told in a fantastic way. My art process is the ritual by which I express these personal myths.  My works are observations, and commentaries on daily living through the use of allegory.  The meanings behind the symbolic imagery, although personal, are meant to be interpreted in many different and individual ways.  The subjects are often therianthropic figures; some animal parts morphing into the body elegantly, while some protrude instead. These zoomorphs are an extension or  form of the "self" a reflection of identity - not to be confused with spirit guides or totems.  The paintings recognize and confront my own daimons, which Rollo May refers to as any motive that has the ability to take over a person.  Issues that cause a personal struggle are not uncommon: concepts such as the challenge to affirm our respective anima, or self-actualization, and socioeconomic status are ideas that many people can relate to.