Earless Listening and other Unanticipated Things

Mixed Media / 2007-2008

Who can say it better than Glen Campbell? “Everybody’s talkin’ at me. I can’t hear a word they’re sayin’, only the echoes of my mind.”

This exhibition explores my frustrations, my observations about the polorization of group thinking where everyone is talking and no one is listening. I juxtapose that with what is delicate, pretty vulnrable placing it side by side with the overt self absorbtion of the talking heads.

Using a combination of resin, encaustic, photography and oils in both two and three-dimensional pieces, this is the first time the sculptural element joins my two-dimensional work. When I began this work, I was mostly reflecting on ideological, political, social and religious differences that have put us, at times, at odds with our friends, our colleagues, our country, our international relationships, and our planet. I quickly moved away from a direct reference to these dialogues to a more conceptual reference for this bit of human behavior.

“Dialogue” and “Shut Up” speak (if you will) to my exhaustion with the never-ending dialogue and rhetoric that pervades today. Especially the talking heads, the rambling opinions on politics and social issues of cable television, and then from their devotees who regurgitate these opinions.

The hanging work (large-scale photography, encaustic and resin) contrasts the naive ideals and expectations of my childhood with my current experience. The way I idealized my own way of thinking (and probably continue to do so) is represented by this series of botanicals with roots entwined in books (“Studies I through IV”). I have always loved old botanical studies. They point to an early part of my life where the simple documentation of a plant reflected a quieter, lovely aspect of life that promised a careful consideration of all things. Of course, here they are entangled with reality. That reality is seen as the books. They reflect the unending points of view that come to us en masse in bookstores, on cable news stations, and online.

In this work, which culminates with “Finding Serenity,” what comes forth is my longing for a more reflective time. Accord rather than discord. A careful consideration of things. A toning down of endless rationalizations, lamentations, frustrations, dissertations, and the ultimate damnations of contemporary life today.

Simply? I long for a simpler life.

"Dialogue Installation, Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils,
2007,

"Dialogue 1A" (front, back) , Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils, SOLD
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

"Dialogue 1B" (front, back) , Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils, SOLD
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

"Dialogue 2A" (front, back) , Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils,
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

"Dialogue 2B " (front, back) , Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils, SOLD
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

"Dialogue 3A" (front, back) , Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils,
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

"Dialogue 3B " (front, back) , Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils,
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

"Dialogue 4A" (front, back) , Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils,
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

"Dialogue 4B " (front, back) , Cast Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils,
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

"Shut Up " (front, back) , Cast Resin, calcium carbonate, wood, metal, Oils,
2007, Approx. 18"H X 9"W X 12-15"

Waiting II, 16 panels each 8" X 8", 2007, Encaustic, resin, calcium carbonate, oils, on panel SOLD

"Finding Serenity" Encaustic, Oil, photography on panel SOLD
2007, 60" X 72"

"Your Wrong " Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, Wood SOLD
2007, 6.5 " X 48"

"Leave me Alone I, II, III" Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, Wood
2007, 6" X 7" X 6" each All 3 are SOLD

"We Found the Bees" Encaustic, Oil, Mixed Media, on panel
2007, 5 panels each 12 " X 36 " SOLD

"Observing Life" Encaustic, Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, on panel
2007, 80" X 36" SOLD

"Holding on to My Point of View " Encaustic, Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, on panel SOLD
2007, 80" X 36"

"Inner Dialogue " Encaustic, Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, on panel
2007, 80" X 36"

"Just Wondering " Encaustic, Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, on panel SOLD
2007, 24" X 36"

"Studies I & II" Encaustic, Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, on panel SOLD
2007, 36 " X 24" each

"Studies III & IIV" Encaustic, Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, on panel SOLD
2007, 36 " X 24" each

"Studies V" Encaustic, Oil, Resin, calcium carbonate, on panel SOLD
2007, 36 " X 24"

"Air and Ego " (front, back) , Encaustic, Oils, Paper, Twine, Wood, 2007, 68" X 39" SOLD

"Stream of Rhetoric (89" X 13") and Please Shut Up (11.25" X 12.3" X 5.5" Resin, calcium carbonate, Wood, Oils, 2007 SOLD

"Open Book V, III, I" Resin, calcium carbonate, Oils,
2007, 28" X 9.13 X 6.25 " approx. each