Having worked on the installation for "The Life Show" for the last week plus, I can say with confidence that this has been a powerful experience. I have for years, and continue to , work on myself in the way of trying to break the patterns of conditioning, neurotic thoughts/emotions so as to achieve liberation as to live a full, rich life of contentment. Every moment is an opportunity to do so thru awareness and action. And in art, thru its nature of existential vulnerability made public, is it typical for the creator to find themselves in that neurotic restless place of stress and suffering. So I found myself in this place, feelings of overwhelmed and self created pressure to fill and create a space with my artworks. But i've been there, done that where the process is a torturous one even if the result is satisfying. I want joy in both. So I used it as an opportunity with the intent to throw myself in it, with presence to allow the development of the show to take on its own life. Rather than try to be overly technical and work with a blueprint. There is a fear in this letting go, and surrendering to the elements that are made available to you. But this is mind chatter. This is the neurotic pattern. And when I began to allow myself to work in this way, I lost myself in a beautiful way. Harmony ensued and I was absorbed in the space and taken for a ride thru its experience. I would find rice paper and write on it with big strokes of ink and brush. Left over rolls of glossy photo paper would be the canvas for heavy loads of acrylic to be written with. The work on the wall would be arranged in a harmonious fashion so as to tell the story of nature of mind to nature itself, to nature of death, to homage to women, to homage to elders, and so forth. Charcoal drawings would be taped to the wall as exclamation points in support of the concepts of specific paintings. Friends would come by and share uplifting conversations of heart and mind. I would create a piece expressing and called "Harmony", on the spot where I wrote text in its description with a classical soundtrack in the background, expressing complete harmony where the final period I lay down after 45 minutes or so of writing would end exactly when the soundtrack ended. This piece "harmony" was made with the intent of trying to visually express the very idea I am writing about as to surrender to the constant nowness of life to experience the hidden miracle of it. I can go on and on, but that has been the process of installation. A miracle. It has been an achievement of a deep uplifting nature, and it is my hope that in my view of art as a mirror of its creator, that this uplifting will be reflected into the viewers being so as to inspire him/her to go within and take hold of that hidden treasure made available to us all. Let this be an expression of life itself. Explored, reflected on, lived with awareness, celebrated for all that it is in every moment we have made available to us. And may you enjoy the expression of this thru the art. Enjoy. The LIfe Show!!
The opening is occurring tommorow June 8th at Emerald Tablet gallery in SanFrancisco. 6-10pm. For more info please visit emtab.org