This past year seems to have gone by in a blur. Some new directions taken: notably, in early summer I got married! New art was made. Many miles were ridden on my bike. And over the course of the Spring and Fall semesters of 2018, I worked with about 60 students at Eastern CT State University, the majority of them over the two terms in Studio Art Intro. I enjoy the challenge of working with non art majors. In the context of a required art class at a liberal arts university I strive to help my students (mostly Freshmen) to realize their own inner talents, and to develop a better understanding of the wider scope of visual language. Even more, though, to foster problem solving skills, which they can take into their respective fields: the essence of what my Art+Design practice is all about. (Taking Spring 2019 semester off. Slated to return in Fall 19’ for Drawing 1 and Expression with Color Media…)

Happy to announce that the coming year 2019 has some interesting things on tap: 

- In March I will have artwork on the cover of Meat For Tea magazine. There will be an accompanying exhibit (reception Sat. 4/9/19) at Sonelab, Recording Studios, 142 Pleasant St, Easthampton, MA.
- In May I will have a solo exhibit at the New England Visionary Artists Museum in Northampton, MA. (more to come)
Looking forward to these and other potential artful opportunities opening up in as yet unlooked-for ways…

In the interim, I send out warm holiday wishes with hopes for a brighter, more profound New Year!

After an extended warm autumn we here in the Northeast of the U.S. seem to be dropped into extra cold winter time, which means being inside more, and which for me definitely means more studio time!  Beyond perspectives of political upheaval and alarming civil unrest, etc., I am feeling grateful for having a personally productive year in 2016. Looking forward to a flowering of ideas and productive change to be realized in the coming New Year 2017 (and riding bicycles in warm weather again!). 

Hoping all is healthy and well in your world. 

Warmly,

Neal

Quintessence and a quaternity of j’s: Jung, Jana/Janus and January

1/15/15

Today I am into scheming and dreaming a background thesis for my upcoming solo show at the A.P.E. Gallery, Northampton, MA, slated for April. I want to share some things I have in my immediate mind space at this moment, threading inter-connectedness of my inherent need to understand the essence of being, and creative urge to portray unions of opposites in all of my art. Please see images below of Holier Than Thou & Goodwife Parke, two examples from the ongoing Social Onion series (200+ images) of a singular photo image, measuring 11” x 8.5,” of yours truly, printed and embellished with pen. Also posted below is Birth of Moments, oil on canvas, 40” x 64,” it is a canvas that also addresses concepts of opposites and a notion of time.

Jung
I am interested in what Carl Jung has to say on matters of the human experience, especially in the context of the development of understanding of self. The following quote was something I stumbled on earlier this morn. It fits into the moment as I plan out my show:

“…unless we prefer to be made fools of by our illusions, we shall, by carefully analyzing every fascination, extract from it a portion of our own personality, like a quintessence, and slowly come to recognize that we meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life.” Carl Gustav Jung, Collected Works 16, Practice of Psychotherapy

Jana & Janus = January
The ancient Roman deities Jana and Janus are the quintessence of metaphors for my immediate project, embodying a balance of opposites. Lunar and solar respectively, they are also namesakes of the month January. While they each have specific qualities and areas of governance, they are both often represented as two faced, looking forward and back. They stand at the portal of the new year, and every moment, ever gazing with age/wisdom from whence they come, while looking forward in the spirit of youth (see image below) to manifest the potential of what is to come.

Holier Than Thou

Goodwife Parke

Birth of Moments

Janus