Dirk Dzimirsky

Artist Statement

Unlike the media and their artificial conception of beauty that does not only hide the true person but also destroys it by removing every sign of what makes us human, I want to capture and describe a persons precence and specific inner self. Similar to what a detailed writer might employ in their analysis of an individual, I portray not only the physical attributes, but more importantly the subjects inner presence of life. It’s not too obvious as my work appears most detailed, but I understand my approach as both representational and lyrical, using marks like words and textured areas like paragraphs. All parts of a whole, telling a story about a human being.

I choose drawing over painting as this allows me to create many layers over layers of lines and dots which react to each other in order to create a vibrant texture with directions and movement. This approach enables the finished work to be viewed more by the “senses” as opposed to the standard visual observation of a photo. Personally, I view the practice of drawing as reminiscent of scratching on a surface to observe what’s hidden underneath, where as the nature of painting projects more the inverse, covering and hiding details and forms that might have contributed to a sensuality of a work.

I use photos as references for my drawings but I am not after a perfect reproduction at all. I use a photo very loosely once the proportions are established. I usually work as if I were drawing from a live model actually. I work with movement and expression, working fast on larger, more unimportant areas, and slowing down on parts that need more attention. I am actually improvising a lot. My main concern is to capture the essence and substance of forms in order to get close to a perceptible presence of the subject.

Dirk Dzimirsky’s Website

Dirk Dzimirsky’s Blog