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IF HE IS NOT THE GREATEST CONTEMPORARY ARAB ABSTRACT ART MASTER…THEN COUNT HIM AMONG THE 5 BIGGEST ONES!

By Maximillien de La Croix de Lafayette, Berlin, Germany

To begin with, I would feel better if I confess this :” Al Jaloos is fifty times better than me and 500 times better than any abstract artist I ever met or knew in the Arab world.” Tons of ink were poured on papers to pay homage to this most outstanding Jordanian Abstract Art Master. He has been hailed in the media as the painter of sound and fury and one of Jordan ’s greatest. I see him differently. What a great pleasure and a privilege to say a few words about Al Jaloos. If he is not the greatest abstract painter of the Arab universe, then do not hesitate a second to count him among the five biggest ones!

They accuse Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques (Fathers and Creators of the modern art and cubism) of stealing African tribal art and transforming in it or at least incorporating it in a new art platform baptized by the two European masters as Abstract art, more correctly  “Cubism”. Admiring and exploring Al Jaloos, what would you accuse him of? Think before you answer. I know what you are going to do after I have asked you this question. You bet? You are going back to look at Jaloos paintings. Probably, let’s say most certainly, you are not going to stop at one painting only. You are going for a long ride. Am I correct? So why would you do that if you are not impressed or at least intrigued by Al Jaloos’ art?

I am going to enjoy every second writing about this Jordanian master…a man I never met in my life and probably I would not have the opportunity of meeting with him, en vue of far land distances and paths of our lives. But, I am going to write a few words about him right now, before it is too late especially since my physicians told me that I am living on a borrowed time and…..my days on this planet are numbered.

Those articles and art reviews about Al Jaloos published on the pages of newspapers were crafted and written by art critics who usually use fancy, shamsy, sophisticated terminologies and high class art jargon to show the readers how expert they are and how much they know about art…how much they know… more than you do. Well my friends, now, I am not going to do that. On the contrary, I am going to look at Al Jaloos paintings as a simple, ordinary, common human being just like you. So, only the truth will come from my heart and from my lips. And, we are going to write this article together, yes together, you and me, even though we are thousands of miles apart. First of all, let me give you a simple and honest advice. Once, a great French thinker and writer Andre Gides told a friend of his :” I pity this person who travels to a new country and sees it with old eyes.” He meant that every time you look at something or anything, try to find something new about it. Great wisdom!

So, let’s begin our journey together and start to tell ourselves what and how we feel upon looking at our friend Al Jaloos paintings. Good! Scroll up to the top of the page and look at the first painting on your left. If it is difficult for you to do that, why don’t I bring it to you…right here. Here it is, so both of us we can look at it…

The best way to understand this painting is to ask ourselves some questions. By asking questions, our mind begins to work and our heart starts to beat faster and that is good!

Question One: What is the first thing we see upon looking at this painting?

Question Two: Why the other faces surrounding the main figure are not clear? Certainly, this was the intention of the artist. What intention one might ask.

Question Three: Why Al Jaloos did chose those colors?

Question Four: The face in the center of the painting is looking straight at us. We can feel its presence. In real life, when somebody gazes at you, even briefly, you wonder why that person is looking at you? What does he or she want from you? Correct? So this face in the center of Jaloos painting is looking at you. Would you leave this painting without getting an answer? So think! Huh!…so this painting really makes us think, ask questions and wait for answers! So, this painting is alive! This is one of the beauties of this painting. This is one of many things we can depict from this painting.

So as you see, it is not difficult to talk about art, to write about art, to give an opinion about a painting. Just be yourself and don’t let anybody tell you that they know about art more than you do. Remember this, art is nothing more, nothing else than a simple truth. I like what some folks in the United States say :” Here I am, you get what you see, and you see what you get.” Art is the same thing. You can do the same thing you have done so far with each painting you look at. From now on, you are going to look at a painting with “new eyes”, not “old eyes” as Andre Gides said to his friend. At least, we got one thing –so far- by looking at that painting. There is a powerful, silent, sorrowful, pensive, strong, intelligent, mysterious face looking at us! Imagine, all those attributes and feelings are on that face in total simplicity. So, what we would call this? You think and you will write to me about it