WINTER

Saturday evening was the Winter Solstice exhibition reception at the MarinMOCA. This is my fourth exhibition at the venue including Content Matters, Paperworks!, and AbstrAction. As an artist, I never take any opportunity for granted. It’s a gift to share my practice with the public beyond the studio.

From the call: “The ‘Winter Solstice’ exhibition heralds a magical season. The short days and long nights of Winter are imbued with moody ambiance and spiritual significance. It is a time for contemplation, but also for celebration. Juried by Andrea Schwartz, owner of the Andrea Schwartz Gallery in San Francisco. Ms. Schwartz chose both traditional landscape works and contemporary artworks that express the magic of the season. Visitors will experience artwork in a variety of mediums such as painting, drawing, ceramics, embroidery, and photography, showing the versatility of artists working within a common theme…”

Ms. Schwartz selected my artwork LIFE for the exhibition. Description: Lady Justice is a symbol of impartiality in our judicial system. Standing stoically with a scale in one hand and a sword in the other, she is blindfolded representing that power, status, or money has no influence. A standard braille sign becomes repurposed by altering its function. The art serves as a marker questioning how special interests have weakened the fundamental principles of democracy. Citizens must not blindly follow but question, organize, and demand the highest standards preserving truth and justice.

48 artworks were selected for the Winter Solstice exhibition. Artists Christopher West, Patricia Crowley, Patrushka, and Martha Ketterer reverberate the natural world through line and shadow. From Ketterer’s website: “…The element of water is a central character whether it be still and clear, like a mirror or multi textured like the wind on the sea. The many natures of water are woven through our lives and hence the stories of the way we live and thrive.”

The solstice is marked twice a year representing the longest and shortest days. The exhibition highlighted this cycle from installations to paintings. An exterior of acceptance blankets turbulent interiors throughout the artworks. Winter Solstice makes a mark and reaffirms memory.