In his work, painter Shlomo Az-Ari, draws much inspiration from
the world of music, particularly that of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
The 60’s was a decade of faith, love, peace, and optimism for the
human race, as reflected in the songs of the Beatles. Early Pink
Floyd was characterized by psychedelic musical experiments, and
The Who brought the spirit of rebellious youth. Psychedelia and
love are well-represented in Az-Ari’s art with the use of bright,
intense colors.
In the 70’s and 80’s, Kiss and Queen gave larger-than-life, ostentatious performances. On the other hand, there was progressive rock, heavily influenced by classical music, such as the music of Mike Oldfield and King Crimson.
Every music lover remembers looking at album covers while listening to music. Album covers were an integral part of the musical experience.
In this book, Az-Ari pays tribute in homage to the music of the era as well as the album cover art of the time, which moved a generation of music lovers. His paintings draw inspiration from record covers, adding elements of humor, innocence and human warmth which are disappearing from life and music today. His self taught pop art is intertwined with Middle Eastern influences, weaving a visual fabric that is highly individual. This book is both heartwarming and original and is a great gift for lovers of music and painting.
Yuval Gilad
Shlomo Az-Ari was born in Tiberias, Israel. He is a multidisciplinary artist who works in music, film, painting and
design.
He has published fourteen books and six musical albums. His paintings have been shown in dozens of exhibitions throughout Israel, and his work in film has been greeted with critical acclaim.
