
Passages: Between Then and Now— At Principle Gallery
I wanted to make it as anonymous as a photo. But it was perhaps also the wish for perfection, the unapproachable, which then means loss of immediacy. Something is missing then, though; that is why I gave that up.
–Gerhard Richter, Gerhard Richter: text : writings, interviews and letters, 1961-2007
I came across the passage above from artist Gerhard Richter and it really stuck with me since i have been recently thinking about a form of immediacy, both in art and in life.
In life, we often live in the thens rather in the now. We did that back then. I will do that then.
In pasts and futures. Often more present in either, rather than in the now.
That’s what I see in the new painting at the top, Passages: Between Then and Now. It’s a 24″ by 24″ canvas that is part of my Principle Gallery show, which is now hanging in the gallery. We spend so much time looking forward and backward that we fail to notice the colors and forms of now. We fail to fully live in the present.
I know it sounds cliche, this idea of living in the present. But sometimes cliches come about because of our constant need to be reminded of self-evident truths. I certainly need to be reminded of such things.
As for art, I have been thinking about how a piece of art always speaks in the voice of now. Always in the present and with open arms. Timeless and warm. I think that’s why Richter’s thought struck me so. He gave up seeking perfection and embraced the immediacy and imperfections of the now.
If I had to describe my work, that might be how I would describe it: immediate and imperfect.
Human.
And that gives me great satisfaction. I see this in the group of work from this show at the Principle Gallery: human– imperfect and hopefully living in the here and now.
Below is a slideshow of work from the exhibit. The soundtrack is Jitterbug Waltz from the wonderful piano of the late Vince Guaraldi.
Passages is my 24th solo exhibit at the Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA. The opening reception is tomorrow, Friday, June 9, beginning at 6 PM and going to 8:30. I am looking forward to being in attendance at this year’s show for the first time since 2019. Hope you can make it!