Ynotartblog's Blog

Earth Ball, triptych, oil on canvas.

Recalling the past can often be marked by uncertainty and maybes but I can see in my mind’s eye the National Geographic image of a young child maimed by a land mine that was part of the motivation to make the 1989 triptych Earth Ball. My concerns as I absorbed this distressing photo impacted my creativity and led to changes in my art. However, although I don’t have any memory or journal to support my thoughts on this work, I feel that I must also have been affected by just what was going on back then. So…In researching the most newsworthy events of 1989, I was stunned to discover the breadth of events. I was living in San Francisco, so there was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake! The fall of the Berlin Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Exon oil spill, the Iran-Contra affair, Salman Rushdie was sentenced to death by Iran…much to be concerned about. Noteworthy tidbit: Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” was Song of the Year!

Changes: Color was reduced to mostly grays and yellows, and the intention was more clearly articulated before I began the painting. The finished work was more clearly imagined and worked toward. Although identifiable abstracted images appeared in prior work, an organized storyline was formed. Pages and pages of sketches were drawn as I worked out each panel. Current world issues were indirectly expressed and symbolized. I remember talking about my “plan” for this painting. So different from most creative work up to then in which the imagery in large oils would start in one corner and proceed from there. Each section helping to chart the course forward.

Story in three parts: Today as I look at Earth Ball I see a study of human behavior. Scenes symbolizing our ways of responding to life: figuring out what it all means, and the seemingly neverending cycles of destruction and creation.

I am excited to announce that Earth Ball has been selected for the Da Vinci Art Alliance exhibition “Fluid Transitions.” The Zoom opening is at 7 pm on August 7 and runs through August 28. The gallery is also open to the public with reservations as well as online viewing. Here is a description of the show from the Da Vinci Art Alliance website:

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:

After a call to the DVAA membership for large and small works, the DVAA Exhibitions Committee identified a theme running through many of the works involving stillness. 

There were many exceptional entries and the Exhibitions Committee worked hard to create a cohesive show titled Fluid Transition. They constructed the show around the concept of the inherent evolution of stillness.  During this time of isolation and contemplation, they sought to reveal works that showed a sense of shifting progressions. “As many of us explore ways to find new grounds in which to plant our feet, it is our hope that the works in this show will reveal new ways to skate through the turbulence or get comfortable with the ever-shifting foundations in our lives.” We are excited to open the exhibition live on August 7th in Gallery 1, with accessibility for online viewing as well.