Love: The Exhibit

Fully Armored  Jude Harzer 2008

I received an inquiry about the exhibit that I plan to curate, inspired by the very powerful and universal experience , we refer to as “Love.” The show is planned to debut in 2011. It is a collaborative effort . My art and the art of others will be enhanced by the writings of a very talented emerging author and compositions by an equally gifted musician. The three are inextricably connected and are necessary in order to fully convey the essence of this exhibit. Art, like love, is multi- sensory and multi faceted.

The idea for this show became clear as I sat outside the home of friend and fellow artist, Carol Saylor this past December. Anyone that dares to spend time with me, knows that the conversation is rarely “light.” .Carol endures my persistent questionings, musings, and pleas for answers regarding life, love, purpose and passion. Carol “knows” life and love. She has suffered great tragedy and pain. Despite premature blindness and deafness during mid life, the loss of a daughter , ( Alice a mother of 3 , in her 30’s) ,to cancer, the death of her husband and so much more, Carol radiates energy, strength and beauty. How and why does anyone navigate this life with persistence and purpose in the face of great pain,loss and failure ? There have been many people who have graced my life who I have witnessed do just that….move forward despite the hard knocks and obstacles, with unusual persistence and vigor. Again I ask "How and why? "

….Always, always, the answer makes a resounding reference to LOVE! Love, passion, hope and a belief in something greater than ourselves, is a powerful motivation that reveals in us strength and greatness beyond our wildest imaginations. And yet, “love”, misunderstood, unexpressed, rejected or absent , has the potential to consume, destroy and diminish. Perhaps this is not love at all, but personal perception is not a tidy and universal process to be defined.

I’m not simply talking about the hearts and roses of romantic love, although that certainly provides a wealth of inspiration. I am referring to the entire spectrum of the experience….the good, the bad, the pure…young love, true love, first love ,mature love, unrequited love….the love of a parent, a friend, a lover, a child. We are often motivated by the love of country, the love of learning, the love of freedom, the love of God , nature and life itself. Is it possible to genuinely and fully love many, or do we reserve our love for a chosen few? Why do we crave , live, die , and pray for it? Unconditional love…does that even exist? And why do we fade in the absence of it? All I know is that love matters and sustains us in times of need. It exposes beauty where there appears to be none . Love makes the seemingly mundane appear extraordinary and unites us in ways that give meaning to our brief moments here in this life.

Another exceptional friend, fellow artist, art historian and educator Trish Maunder, once told me that love is the “stuff’ that inspires all great art .I believe she is right! So as I journey to make sense of it, I have become an observer of this phenomenon and have learned to embrace rather than resist it.Yes, when we expose our hearts, we are left unguarded and more susceptible to pain, tears and potential hurt. But comfortably numb is not living and over time, the pain of regret, is far greater than any love, lost or found.

So this isn’t a Valentine’s exhibition. It is about life, love and inspiration and I am blessed to have plenty of it all! Live and love HUGE!

PS… Dino… the one you love! This one is for you Pork Chop:) See image above for reference. All rights reserved Hanna Barbera.
Check Carol Saylor out on you tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TcJ0KZHIR8&feature=related

The Child Within

I have managed to spend more time working on my painting, "The Child Within."As I was driving last weekend, to spend the day with my friend, Carol Saylor, a Pa. based sculptor and fine artist, I was thinking seriously about my work and my motivations for creating it. I had spoken earlier with another friend.We extensively discussed my recent work. What motivates anyone to do anything? The recurring answer for me is always love and passion. In its absence, I cannot create well. I fall in and out of love on a daily basis with ideas,images,great minds,literature and art ,positive sensations and memories. I asked Carol, who has had greater life experience, some incredibly tragic, "What is it that you have learned from this life? " Her response was that she "understands" nothing and knows little:) I told her that I shared something similar with my children... that the "key" to living freely is in the understanding and appreciation that,simultaneously, none of it matters...and yet all of it matters:) We talked about how love and loss,despite education, "knowledge", and material success, guide our thoughts,actions and interests. It is what reminds us that we are alive and connected to others in a deeply emotional sense. And then I had a realization about my work that I cannot at present fully share. I called my best friend excitedly as I sat in my parked car outside of Carol's home. I explained the concept for my next project. She listened and loved it because for once, it genuinely reflects who  I am and what I believe. After the completion of the initial phase of my work, it will include and culminate with work of nearly 1000 pieces by an array of artists.I will curate this project. I am confident that I can. My inspiration is love.Theirs will be as well."The Child Within" is a tribute to love lost, found and unrequited. It is about the absence of care and kindness when it is most needed. This painting  is about the struggle to heal, forgive and recover...about self acceptance, self discovery and self love. It is about the beauty of experiencing love as a mother, father, sister, brother, lover, friend or child.The following adapted text was written by Betrand Russell. Bertrand Arthur William Russell, (May 18,1872 –February 2, 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, socialist, and pacifist.In the early 1900's, he led the British "revolt against idealism". Considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy, Russell recieved a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950  "in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought."

Three passions have governed my life:

The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for the suffering of [humankind].
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of love I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of [people].
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.
This has been my life; I found it worth living.