Meet the Artist: Aramis O'Reilly

AroundTown is proud to introduce Aramis O’Reilly. Aramis O’Reilly, professor of Art at New World School of the Arts, received his MFA in painting from Florida International University and attended both the University of Connecticut and Florida International University for his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.

His work has been shown in various national and international exhibitions and is included in numerous private and public collections. Besides his studio work he has been involved in several large scale public art projects. Professor O’Reilly is also a recipient of the Cintas Fellowship Award.

“My work has been an exercise in creating moments that describe the play between the act of creation and the deeper forces of design with purpose. My work represents nature, vaguely abstracted yet certain in its design. My hope is to reach a state in each work where the play between representation and abstraction offers a means to express the exuberance of creation.”

What careers besides Art have you had?

I have had other jobs like most other artists who do not have a reasonable plan B. That is, plan A is making art all of time and plan B is, refer plan A. Fortunately, I have been living plan A for all of my adult life. This includes, sharing my experiences as an artist with other artists as a member of the faculty at the New World School of the Arts. I suppose that this has been the most fulfilling of all the “careers” that I have had outside of my true vocation.

What was your first experience that enticed you to pursue a career in Art?

I remember as a child looking through the World Book Encyclopedia and finding the section on Painting. I was transfixed by those pages that were filled with paintings from the spectrum of the history of art. I knew then that I wanted to be part of something that was so extraordinary.

Some of your paintings are expressive representations of the processes of creation. Why this topic in particular?

What the “processes of creation” means is ‘how’ life is transformed into other states both physical and perhaps even in intangible ways. Behind these processes loom larger questions such as, why? These questions I have no answers for, only faith. My work allows me to see the question asked over and over again. Maybe by seeing this question asked from different perspectives some response may emerge as a faint and distant echo.

 ….what inspires you?

I have heard say, “ may inspiration find me while I am working.” I think that somehow we create these moments of inspiration and for me it’s based on curiosity. Curiosity is everything.

You have a unique and vivid color scheme and a certain depth. How do you create your style?

I feel that style is not something that I should consciously pursue. It’s more like the trail that I leave behind. I cannot help but make things the way I do. Each person has that dilemma or ability or liability, depends on where one wants to place the onus of authorship.

In your own words…share with AT readers something unique about you personally?

I don’t know if I can recognize something unique about me. I see myself as pretty much ‘unremarkable’. I just like doing this thing we call art, a lot.