2017: Fire in the Lake, 2018: Bigger Than Texas, 2019-2020: State of the Union - 8' long by 62" wide, mixed media
Welcome to the opening of Bearing the News: Boats Coats & Votes. Seeing an art show virtually is not ideal! I would much rather be greeting each of you in the gallery but here we are in this time and here we are online.
I have tried to pack the last three and a half years into the three pieces of the triptych: 2017: Fire in the Lake, 2018: Bigger Than Texas* and 2019-2020: State of the Union. The fourth large piece, The Cloak of Learned Optimism is an expression of hope. The piece you see on the gallery floor, The River, expresses a Buddhist concept. The river always changes but you cannot see that change.
I heard the phrase "learned optimism" in an NPR interview Scott Simon had with Isaac Mizrahi. Mr. Mizrahi's Mother used the phrase to express how she dealt with the infirmities of advanced age. And I have adopted the phrase to express hope in what I consider a pretty dark period. For me it is about appreciating the beauty we can find every day: a kind gesture, a child's drawing, hearing from someone unexpectedly, a beautiful butterfly, the list goes on and on.
Since this show is really different than the usual gallery show I am planning to add to it as we go on. I would like to add more photographs. I am working on a video. Maybe even that piece I didn't have time to do. Please visit again!
As always there are many thanks to be given: members of the Hillsborough Artists Coop, Jay Levinsohn, Bartow Culp, Eli who carried all the work up to the gallery (yes, all those rocks!), Jennifer Miller, Susi Lieff, Hal Sandick, Anke Gassen and Jackie Helvey. It really does take a village to put an art show together.
Hugs to all of you,
Be well,
Hunter
*There is an island of plastic floating in our oceans that is bigger than the state of Texas. Texas is not bigger than Europe but it is bigger than many European countries.
Hunter sits on The Sofa as Art, above is The Cloak of Learned Optimism - approximately 5' by 8', mixed media
The Cloak of Learned Optimism
The Cloak of Learned Optimism, The Sofa as Art
The River
Sketch of 2017:Fire in the Lake, colored pencil and ink
