Marc James Veal (b 1973), known as Jim Veal, is an American painter from Irvine CA. Jim studied at the Art Institute of Southern California in Laguna Beach. He embraces an eclectic approach to his style, working in four primary forms:plien air, abstract,juxtopose (surreal),and what he is becoming known as "the abstrealist". All painting involves abstractions, and the abstreal is the clear combining of abstract and representational in order to achieve a visual harmony. In his approach to painting Jim primarily uses people as his subject. Though he admits painting in one genre is seen as essential to marketing, he feels that painting what you feel and are moved to express at any given time is a more important issue of integrity and honesty." It seems that the mind wants simple black or white, right or wrong, and to think in absolutes, I have found life is not always this way, so neither is my art.I have found we take in paintings on their absolute qualities without inquiry of the vast causes that contribute to their creation. For you the viewer to say perhaps "he is too representational", or "not simplified enough for me", or I prefer more "the bad art approach". Have you considered the endless contributors to a potential style, like at what point does abstraction or the non-descript become lost completely? Or when is realism simply a superficial boasting of technical prowess? Would it be a first for you to then consider what led to an artists approach? Granted you will find the artist that simply mimics their master, or those who are being fashionable and paint in a way that resulted only from a longing to be pop. Most true artists stumbled on or sought a way to speak their experience and understanding through art.*************
I once felt I had to capture things as precisely as they are to my eye, trusting blindly it would result in an accurate portrayal of the models spirit as well. Yet I was inevitably frustrated and disappointed with my results. I realized that beginning as a child adults were constantly altering their speech or murmuring and whispering to each other to protect me from the untimely truth of their experiences. This was a trend to continue on through life for changing reasons. So rather than to idle in my absolute capture of a subject I embraced my inability, or non allowance to see clearly the entirety of my subject. You and that world your in is unclear to me and abstracted. Perhaps I lack some people's omnipotence? But my paintings have reconciled this matter.*************
I can see bits and pieces of your life and self, but not through years of intellectual fishing and sharing will I ever find all of you with complete clarity. And so I paint your face clear as day like how you told me in such detail of your dreams or showed me your anger so accurately over your loss of a lover. However I cloud you in abstractions that are the tiny moments that defined your life, and are the unseen images of your memory to me, or the simple shape that is your otherwise nude body, or the things you would dare not tell anyone. I embrace the irrationality of absolute clarity by conveying about as much of it as I may see, and marry it to pure abstract in the degree that I have witnessed your mystery; and acknowledge what is all too unclear to me of you, and the world around you.*************
By: Jim Veal
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