A Chromatic Life is a paired show featuring my and Anna Clarey’s recent work at Westland Gallery in London ON. Anna and I are both deeply inspired by the outdoors and though our styles are very different, you will certainly get a sense of the deep impact the Ontario landscape has on our art and psyches.
It’s always interesting to see the works hung in a different setting and context than the one in which they were painted. There’s a new allowing for them to have Been Made, after the Conceiving Of, and then, the Making Of them.
During the show, I’ll be sharing several of my pieces from the collection along with some thoughts around each. You are most welcome to follow along and comment here on my blog, or elsewhere on social media if we are connected.
The first piece is Isthmus Bay Kalein.
Isthmus Bay is where the spectacular limestone cliffs of Lion’s Head rock formation rise out of the turquoise blue waters of Georgian Bay. Kalein is the Greek word for “calling” which shares it’s root with the word for “beauty”.
In the true sense of the word then, beholding beauty is not passive – we are beckoned, called by beauty to actively witness that landscape and ourselves in it. In that opening, we meet ourselves in our happinesses and hurts. Heeding this eternal call to be in beauty and be willing to be challenged and changed by it, can transfigure the hard bits.
The figure in this piece is my oldest child who lives with MS and who, answering the kalein, kayaked with me across Isthmus Bay. Her voyage across the bay and back was a deep one and mostly her story to tell. But watching her push against the old place of her being to meet this landscape was a sacred thing to witness.
I think these days especially, that we must keep walking out of our hearts over and over and over again to respond to the kalein of beauty…
I hope you can make it out to the show:
A Chromatic Life
Anna Clarey & Erica Dornbusch
September 18th – October 13th
Reception: Friday, Sept. 21st at 7 pm
Artist Talk: Wednesday, Oct. 3rd at 7 pm
Westland Gallery
156 Wortley Road
London, ON
N6C 3P5
T: 1-519-601-4420
info@westlandgallery.ca