lost and found: letting go and holding on
September 20th, 2019
Works by the Artists of Art Connection Studio
Our 24th exhibition, lost and found: letting go and holding on, considers two conditions, the condition of being lost and the condition of being found. In one respect, each condition is independent of the other. One can lose something and never find it again. One can find a thing, never having lost it to begin with. Yet in another respect, we also know these two conditions as interdependent, one following the other, as when we claim that at last, we have found what was once lost, and inversely, as when we occasionally lose, through misfortune or inevitability, what had been found, realizing that very few things if any last forever. It is that profound yet familiar strangeness of living in time, passing through the world in the counterbalance of letting go and holding on.
Life unfolds from one unsustainable moment to the next. Each moment washes over us like the relentless waves that roll over the shore, receding just as quickly to give way to the next wave, and after this one, the next wave approaches, bringing near future expectations. We are greeted or struck by each one, wave after wave, moment after moment, an unbroken parade of happenstances. The present moment replaces the previous, which fades into the past, like many moments that are lost to oblivion. Some more poignant or spectacular moments persist in memory, though with the passage of time, they grow fuzzier about the edges.
Sometimes we tether our deepest experiences to tangible objects in order to connect to memories that reside within us. The object stirs up images and feelings, taking us back, again and again, to discover and rediscover meaning, reflecting upon these bygone chapters, in short, finding what matters of oneself at present in the face of losing oneself to the past. This is the anchoring power of the object, to inspire the tale that would be told, a fragment of the whole story of your life.
The artists of Art Connection Studio have prepared a numerous selection of objects to evoke memories and imaginings of places, home, family, food, good spirits, and good times. Whimsical and fanciful pieces are scattered about the space. Acrylic paint and mixed media still life works and landscapes, inspired by Purism and Expressionism, tile the walls of the gallery and studio. The fiber studio is brimming with jewelry. Embroidery work, some in frames, some on aprons and dish towels, carries one’s mind to the warmth and charm of any home kitchen.
Since opening in 2011, we have had over 40 exhibits in the Hartford area. Besides exhibiting in our space at Arbor Street three times a year, our artists have shown in such venues as Stanley-Whitman House in Farmington, Butler-McCook House and Amos Bull House of Connecticut Landmarks in Hartford, Hands on Hartford, St Francis Center for Integrative Medicine, Hartford Public Library, Aetna, Greater Hartford Arts Council, Connecticut Office of the Arts, and Farmington Valley Art Center.
Our fall exhibition, lost and found: letting go and holding on (September 20th, 4pm-7pm), at our gallery and studios at 56 Arbor Street, Suite 205-206, Hartford, is free admission and open to the public. Patrons will be able to take some of their purchases with them from the reception. Other works will remain in the exhibit until October 18th.
Michael Galaburrí, Art Connection Studio, 2019
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