M.A.R.
Manifest Artist Residency
2019/2020
Ron Prigat
Ron Prigat is a US based Israeli figurative painter and printmaker whose work ranges in medium, from intimate portraits in oils to dream-like monotypes. Ron is influenced by artists such as Giorgio Morandi, Gwen John and Diego Velazquez. His work amalgamates a contemporary frame of mind with a classical sensibility, harmonizing representation and abstraction. He is an alumnus of the Jerusalem Studio School Masterclass program, he participated five summers at theJSS in Civita landscape painting program in Italy, and holds an MFA from the University of New Hampshire. He arrives at Manifest from Vermont, where he has spent the past year working at the Vermont Studio Center.
Artist's Statement:
"I aspire to make work that unearths some mystery under the skin of a sitter, or in the glint of the light off of an object. I am drawn to the musical potential of forms coming together, suggesting more than a depiction of a subject matter but a deeper emergent lyricism, a quality of discovery. In consideration of a motif, I am driven by empirical and sensoryl impulses. The tactile and corporeal qualities of the medium and subject matter fascinate me. I aim to make them manifest in the work, transmitting sensation through sensation. The act of perception allows for unexpected discoveries of the wondrous behavior of light, it distances my mind from preconceptions, and sets a possibility for a transubstantiation of perspective; allowing the viewer to experience the work as if from inside my own eyes.
I have worked extensively from the figure and I remain drawn to the human form and especially to portraiture. I mainly draw and paint in oils, and in recent years began to make monotypes and intaglio prints. I enjoy synthesizing new media into my practice, exploring their pictorial potential and the qualities of mark they offer. Along with an attempt to keenly respond to visual phenomena, I act to fabricate and invent what seems necessary to transcend the subject matter. I believe that tremendous potential lies in the merging of abstraction and representation, and that the two are not by necessity contradictory. In my work I endeavor to harmoniously integrate the two.
Another significant element in my process are the influences of artists I admire, from the ancient Fayum portraits to Gwen John, for example. My inspiration by them seems to find a way into every work, at times as a deliberate act of homage and at times I discover it later, upon reflection. I view each work as a singular challenge. In attempting to resolve it I consider diverse approaches in order for each mark to carry the work closer to its resolution. I feel that it is important to try to be in a state of not knowing, where there is no formula, but rather an informed intuition."
The images pictured at right are a sampling of those submitted with Ron's application.
See more and learn about Ron's work here:
www.ronprigat.com
Information on how to apply for future MAR awards can be found here.
