Eye to the Future— Now at West End Gallery
We can pay our debts to the past by putting the future in debt to ourselves.
–-John Buchan, Address to the people of Canada on the coronation of George VI, 1937
Governor General John Buchan‘s words to the people of Canada in 1937 foreshadowed the sacrifice they would be asked to make in the world war that would be upon them in the years that followed. We, as a future generation to the people of that era, certainly owe a debt for the effort they made in defeating the Nazism and Fascism that threatened the world.
That raises the question: Is there anything we can do today to put future generations in debt to us?
That question came to mind after I had finished the new painting at the top, Eye to the Future. Maybe it was that the dominant colors of this piece, the pure of the blue of the sky over the brightness of the yellow in the fields, reminded me of the colors of Ukraine. That, in turn, reminded me that the result of their deadly struggle will have wider meaning and ramifications for the future, not only for the people of Ukraine but for much of the world.
Their struggle, along with a multitude of other existential threats, put us at the cusp of our future that, in many ways, is not unlike that period in which Buchan uttered his words to the Canadians in 1937. How we react to these times and what future path we follow will be scrutinized by future generations. Will we have done enough to make their future livable and free? Will they feel deeply indebted to us or will they curse our inaction and ignorance?
I can’t answer that, of course. At least, not with words. Words are meaningless unless they are coupled with action. It’s what we do that will make the difference in the future that is ahead for our descendants.
And that is what I see in this simple painting. The Red Tree watches with interest as the yellow of the field meets its future in the form of the rising Sun. But it watches from a distance though that same future might soon be its own. Behind the Red Tree are a group of Red Roof Houses that here symbolizes a sense of disinterested isolation by those that don’t see that their future is intertwined with the futures of many distant others.
However, beyond that, I find great hope in this painting. In it, I still see the possibility to avert a darker road to the future– if we do more than witness from afar or turn away altogether.
It’s a piece that presents the viewer of a choice, depending on how one looks at it. And I like that when I see that in my work. Eye to the Future is a 12″ by 24″ canvas that is included in Eye in the Sky, my annual solo show at the West End Gallery. I delivered this piece along with the rest of the exhibit yesterday in advance of the show opening next Friday, July 21. The reception on that day runs from 5-7 PM and I will be there to answer your questions. Anything. Just don’t ask me about calculus, okay?
Additionally, we will be doing a full-fledged in person Gallery Talk this year for the first time since 2019. It will take place on Saturday, August 19, beginning at 11 AM and will have all the frills and fun of the pre-pandemic talks. Well, I am going to try to give you that.
That is a future I can control– somewhat.
With a little optimism, here’s a song from the past, from Timbuk 3 in the mid-1980’s. It was one of those one-hit wonders that dominated the radio waves at the time but faded from memory pretty quickly. I hadn’t heard the song in many, many years until a week or two ago and it made me remember how quirky and fun it was. It has a goofy 80’s style video plus it seems to fit this post. Here’s The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.
Redtree Times 