Razmik screening at Gallery Hozho
Director’s note, September 15, 2022, Screening of Razmik
On Saturday, September 15, at 6:30 pm Gallery Hózhó at Hotel Chaco welcomed director Mike Freze and producers Linda Freze and Megan Freze Munoz for a screening of their documentary short film Razmik. The film, which was screened as part of the Albuquerque Film and Music Experience, explores the life and work of Armenian-born artist Razmik Samvelts Hadjikian. Now living in southern California, Razmik has been an active painter and art teacher for over five decades. His work reflects the lingering trauma from the Armenian Genocide in 1915 when Ottoman forces killed and displaced over a million Armenian citizens in Turkey.
The film touches on the artist’s childhood in Armenia and the history of the Armenian Genocide. Born in Yerevan in the Republic of Armenia in 1954, Razmik’s work pays homage to his fellow Armenian painter Archille Gorky, an artist whose life was devastated by the Genocide. Born in 1904 in Armenia, he was forced to flee with his mother and sisters. Once he made it to the US, Gorky studied studio art and became an instructor. Gorky was a forerunner in the Abstract Expressionist movement creating iconic images that inspired artists, including Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock before he died by suicide in 1948.
Like Gorky, Razmik’s work uses colorful abstraction to articulate a range of emotions, from anxiety and turmoil to joy and ecstasy. The director allows the images to unfold with little dialog, letting the viewer experience the work without words. As Razmik states, “Art don’t need to talk too much. You have to feel it.” In Freze’s film, the viewer can experience many quiet moments of Razmik’s world and his life, his enthusiasm for everything around him, including his family, swimming, and going to the beach but it especially describes his passion for his art. In the film, Razmik notes, “You have to do what you love to do. Even if you have money, if you don’t do what you love to do, you won’t be happy." In each painting, he pours his personal creativity and energy. He refers to his works as his daughters; more than wanting to sell them he tries to find good homes for them.
As a teacher, Razmik clearly has a gift for inspiring his students and encouraging them to pursue their own vision. He teaches both children and adults, trying not to guide their work but the ask questions that bring forth the student’s unique style, providing a safe space to create Razmik is full of honor and respect for his students, including one of the movie’s producers Linda Freze, who studied with Razmik. She notes that the artist did not want his students to copy the way he paints. Rather, he encourages everyone to find their individual aesthetics and to discover the subject matter important to them.
The film Razmik was the product of the filmmakers' passion. Mike and Linda Freze brought their energy and creativity to their project, capturing the artist’s great passion for his art and for his students. In the film, we see the artist working. The director allows the camera to pan slowly, to linger on the Razmik as he paints the lines and brushstrokes as they fill the canvas.
Gallery Hózhó was designed as a place for people to gather and share unique experiences was always a goal. Razmik offers an exploration of the role of creativity and inspiration in art, not only as something found in a final product but as part of the experience for anyone watching, encouraging viewers to think and feel from a new perspective.
