A Rising Peace-- Now at the Kada Gallery
He knew the depth of beauty, He was for ever surprised by its peace and its majesty; and He stood before the earth as the first man had stood before the first day.
We whose senses have been dulled, we gaze in full daylight and yet we do not see. We would cup our ears, but we do not hear; and stretch forth our hands, but we do not touch. And though all the incense of Arabia is burned, we go our way and do not smell.
--Kahlil Gibran, A Philosopher: On Wonder and Beauty (1928)
The painting at the top is titled A Rising Peace. It is 18" by 36" on canvas and is included in Places of Peace, my solo show at the Kada Gallery that opens this coming Friday., November 4th.
I pulled a lot of tranquility from this particular painting while it was in the studio with me. There are certain pieces that just emit that vibe, that have a cohesive wholeness and harmony to which you immediately react, even from a distance. For me, this is one of those pieces.
Wherever it was in the studio, my eye would always find it and rest on it for a few moments. Without fail, this short viewing always provided me with some sense of solitude and hope. Even on those days when my mind was racing and scattered, it had a centering effect for me, reminding me to take notice of the beauty in this world and not be distracted by the ugliness that sometimes seems to crowd our days.
What more could I ask of it?
Here's a well-traveled song, One Day, from Matisyahu, who is an American musician who carries a lot of labels-- reggae artist, rapper, alt rocker, and then some. Just a guy who makes music, I guess. His stage name is the Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation of the name from which the Anglicized name Matthew is derived.
The song fits well with what I see in this painting.
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