Beyond the ruins: Green Doors
Oil on Door Panel 32x80”
Beyond The Ruins: Green Doors
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
I will not attempt to tell you what these paintings are “all about”, as the best pieces of the work came through me and not from me. I invite you into the conversation, eager to learn from what you discover, and offer some ingredients of the imagery as a start to the dialog...
I am always pursuing that thin space between representation and abstraction in my painting. While some of these panels are more realistic in appearance and others more conceptual, I particularly enjoy the magic moments of thick paint like these when abstract marks congeal into recognizable images.
During my July 2010 return to Haiti after the earthquake, just as in my time in post war Bosnia, I was struck by the juxtaposition of the horror of destruction, and the casual daily rituals that don’t get the opportunity to stop. In the midst of grief, food still needs to be prepared, laundry done... life just goes on amidst the ruin. As an outsider, I just want to shout, ‘Hey, doesn’t the world see what’s happening here!? Won’t someone help? Can’t we set this right before we move on!?” But no, life trudges on over and around the rubble.
Who among all these amazing Haitian people will rise above passivity, apathy, and hopelessness to be a champion of renewal for their country? I am constantly amazed by the inner strength and hope of my Haitian Family in the face of overwhelming adversity. They have a wellspring of faith and courage that humbles me, and despite economic difference, it is apparent that I am the poorer man.
