About Boaz Torfstein

Inscribing marks into surfaces remains a relevant form of creative practice in this digital age. Drawings and other inscriptive practices are, however, often dismissed in a variety of ways: relegated to the status of images or objects of study rather than representing an understanding of the world in their own right. Drawing is used internationally across many fields in a supporting role as a first translation of an idea into materiality; a research or exploration tool that allows easily produced representations of ideas. As such, it is sometimes considered as an activity or frame of mind rather than a medium in its own right. It is these exact traits of drawing that I am drawn to as an artist. To draw is to look critically at a scene (in the widest possible meaning) and to see what is actually there, then to deconstruct it and translate it into a visual representation. There is a disparity between seeing and understanding, a disparity that can be negotiated via critical observation; a necessary skill for every drafter, especially working on the go, in a hectic, buzzing, urban environment. As new media/technology increasingly fills our world, I am drawn to the simple act of looking. Looking directly at the object I am studying, with no filters or technological assistance that are rapidly becoming part of our core self.