Uri Mahlev in his studio Israeli photographer, Uri Mahlev, is an artist with purpose and vision. His digital prints on canvas are large and imposing, beckoning our attention with a magnetic strength. A survey of his work reveals wide and variegated interests; he is comfortable working with both man-made and natural settings, creating expansive tableaus or crafting virtually abstract images. Aesthetic considerations are generally the vanguard of each photo, yet we often can feel that some event or truth lies beyond the picture plane. “I try to build a tension, a space, a gap between the immediately seen subjects and the unseen happening,” Mahlev explains. “That creative, dynamic, tense space enables the viewer to react and interact with an inner motion and feeling, forming something new.” Details may remain obfuscated, and time and place no longer matter since we are visitors in his world. This is the beauty of Mahlev’s work; he is persistently asking us to question what we are seeing and what we are feeling in response.

Motion, rhythm, and repetition, alongside a limited palette, allow curious forms, both solid and ephemeral, to dominate the picture. Roads stretch outward across rolling hills in deep perspective, taking our eyes and spirits along for the ride. Other photographs find him in a more peaceful, introspective state, particularly notable in the case of his portraits, which continue to pique our interest with psychological drama. Often the subjects will have their faces obscured and their attention directed away from the viewer, or will be represented as toiling in an epic dance of work and play. These images are among his most enigmatic and haunting, for they resonate deeply with our own sense of purpose, struggling in relative obscurity amongst the other inhabitants of this immense world.

Mahlev has had a long relationship with photography, beginning at the age of eight. He is now a practicing psychologist, which he finds adds a deeper insight into the creative and intuitive aspect of picture taking. He exhibits frequently in Tel Aviv and New York and has had works featured in several publications. Mahlev lives and works in Israel.

www.urimahlev.com

www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Uri_Mahlev.aspx