Redtree Times

Solitude and Reverence

Solitude is the profoundest fact of the human condition. Man is the only being who knows he is alone, and the only one who seeks out another. His nature – if that word can be used in reference to man, who has ‘invented’ himself by saying ‘no’ to nature – consists in his longing to realize himself in another. Man is nostalgia and a search for communion. Therefore, when he is aware of himself he is aware of his lack of another, that is, of his solitude.

–-Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude (1950)

I am in the midst of getting ready for a solo show at the Kada Gallery that opens on November 4. I am thrilled to have another show at this gallery that has represented my work since 1996 and this will be my first there since 2019, just before the pandemic.

I am eager to put together a super strong show and have about a month to finish up the new work for this show. So, time (and solitude) is once again a limited and valuable commodity.

Saving a little time here this morning, I am sharing a favorite painting of mine from several years back, Solitude and Reverence. It’s one of those pieces that speaks to me so strongly and personally that I find myself mystified, even a bit offended, that it never found a home. But that is the nature of art and I have truly enjoyed having it here over the past few years. Maybe this is the home it deserves.

Continuing the theme of solitude, I have included the words of Octavio Paz on the nature of solitude as he sees it along with a classical violin piece from contemporary composer John Harbison. This is Song 2 from his 1985 work, Songs of Solitude.