Sunday, December 20, 2009

Rhythm of Life





My friend Jessica had her final art show on December 12. She called her show "Rhythm of Life" and I wish I had a video of Jessica's artist's talk because she said some really profound things that make viewing the art that much better.
My favorite quote from her talk:
"The blank canvas knows me better than anyone."

In lieu of a video, I'll put some excerpts from her artist's statement:

"My artwork is centered on my faith, which is the core of my life. I express a passion for life; it affirms a truth I find in nature and life itself."

"I like the freedom of expressing oneself with abstract thoughts, but using concrete feelings, thus, I feel compelled to act out on what evokes those feelings through my works of art. Early practitioners of expressionism and abstraction wanted art to become more like music; I share this view, and as such, I paint to a personal rhythm conveying the suggestion of the “rhythm of life” as I see it."

"I love the way paint moves on the canvas and how one color unites with another. Using strong brush strokes, higher energy and vivid colors, I express emotions that have moved me. The scale of the pieces is necessary to articulate the overwhelming power of these emotions and the natural world around us. Paint goes from edge-to-edge continuing beyond the border, leaving you with a sense of never ending possibilities that are before us. Trusting in a higher power is paramount in the conceptual process that goes beyond feelings, thoughts and experiences. In every painting I reveal my life and the lives around me…The Rhythm of Life."









These were some of my favorites. They depicted the four seasons and stood well over seven feet high. Challenge: decide which season is which. Jessica never did tell us which was which - how abstract!







I repeat: "The scale of the pieces is necessary to articulate the overwhelming power of these emotions and the natural world around us."









The whole show was beautiful and knowing all the work that went into it made me appreciate it even more.

It was also fun to see my friends again!



If you'd like to see the show for yourself and you're in Fargo, go to the NDSU Memorial Union Gallery. It will be up through January.

1 comment: