Redtree Times

All of Time– Coming to the Principle Gallery, June 2023

But at my back I always hear
Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.

–Andrew Marvell, To His Coy Mistress, 1650

This is a new painting that is part of my annual solo exhibit opening in June at the Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA. It’s an 16″ by 8″ canvas that I am calling All of Time. which refers to the Baucis and Philemon aspect of the painting as depicted in the two intertwined trees.

If you recall the myth, Zeus granted a wish to the poor elderly couple who had treated him with warmth and generosity when he appeared in their village in the garb of a beggar. Their wish was that when they died they should remain together for all of time. They later died simultaneously and were transformed into two separate trees growing from the same trunk, forever as one.

While that is the obvious subject, this piece is primarily about the depth and juxtaposition of the colors throughout it. The magenta in the foreground, for example. Or the opal-like quality of the colors in the sky and even in the way the light breaks through those colors.

Even without having that myth in mind, this painting would make me think of some form of eternity. Or at least a contemplation and reminder of our limited time here. That’s why I chose the lines above from the 17th century British poet Andrew Marvell. They are from his To His Coy Mistress which is considered one of the finest examples of a carpe diem poem. Seize the day. In it, the narrator of the poem is attempting to seduce a young woman who is resistant to his advances. He tells her that if they had the benefit of eternity, he would gladly spend centuries wooing her. He then stresses that their time here on earth is short and that their time for love and passion is now.

Those are two different views of love and eternity. In the Baucis and Philemon myth, love can exist for all of time while in the Marvell poem, we only have a limited time to love and that eternity is a vast and empty desert devoid of love. However, I think both work for this painting, that both can be equally true.

Just the way I see it. You may see it differently.

As it should be.

Here’s a fitting song for this week’s Sunday Morning Music. It’s a strong cover of the Bee Gees classic To Love Somebody from The Revivalists, the roots rock band from New Orleans. Recorded in a specially equipped van at California music festival back in 2013, their version gives off strong Levon Helm/ The Band vibes for me. Which is to say, it’s good stuff. See — or rather, hear for yourself.