My Works

Over the course of the past few months a number of you have inquired about my artwork.

You may recall that I studied at The Cranbrook Academy of Art for my MFA as a Printmaker.

There I created large linoleum block reduction prints that were often coupled with etchings.

These were abstract geometric/expressionist pieces with a thick impasto.

In more recent years I've been creating my compositions with a camera.

Usually when traveling.

These are the pieces that I will begin to share with you.

I love walls & construction sites.

The picture above was taken in Copenhagen.

I'm reading this wonderful novel by Karin Fossum who's responsible for the Inspector Sejer mysteries. I recommend her works to all. Thought you'd enjoy her character's description of the months of the year:

" ... I love all the months, each has its own tone, its own hue. Imagine this wheel. January, for example, bright blue and white and a trumpet with clear, sharp notes. February, almost identical, with the sun a little more yellow and I hear a cornet. March, grey and white, I hear a viola, there lies a faint hope in its deep note. April, yellow and white. Violins, ' I say, 'with a hint of trapped despair. May, yellow and green. People dancing around a maypole. June, airy and sky blue, accordion. A big flaming bonfire, sparks flying off out into the night. July is a deep yellow, the colour of sand, the sound of the radio. August, the summer is fading, I hear a faint guitar. Then comes your month, September. It is the colour of earth and now I hear a cello. October, 'I continue, ' rusty red with a strong beat. Someone is playing an oboe. November, as I mentioned just now, bare. In November I hear kettledrums and a moaning trombone. Then we finally reach December, with candles and tinsel. And so the years pass, in an ever-recurring circle."

PS - I finished Broken and have been Jonesing for more Fossum. Nothing else will seem to do. Sadly for me, I've already read everything she's done. I guess I'll have to wait until The Water's Edge is released August 25. I can't wait!

On Perfect Pitch - an article from The Washington Post that I thought you'd find interesting.

Mozart, Frank Sinatra and Jimi Hendrix supposedly all had perfect pitch -- the ability to identify or reproduce a musical note without any reference notes. The rare skill is often thought of as a mysterious genetic gift, but researchers at the University of California at San Diego have found that perfect pitch is significantly more common among fluent speakers of Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and other languages that use tone to distinguish between words.

In a study published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America and presented at an ASA meeting last week in Portland, Ore., UCSD researchers tested 203 music students at the University of Southern California for perfect pitch by asking them to identify 36 piano notes. The students self-reported their musical education and ethnicity, and which languages they spoke and how fluently.

More than 90 percent of students who began musical training between ages 2 and 5 and spoke an East Asian tonal language very fluently had perfect pitch, compared with less than 30 percent of Caucasian speakers of non-tonal languages who started to learn music at the same ages. Within that early-onset musical training age group, the "very fluent" tonal language group also blew away those who spoke East Asian languages "fairly fluently" and "non-fluently."

Because the East Asian non-fluent tonal speakers and the Caucasian non-tonal speakers had similar test results, the researchers concluded that their performance was based on language skills rather than ethnicity.

"It also raises the interesting question: What other exceptional abilities might be latent in an infant that we could bring out if we only knew what buttons to push?" said the study's lead author, Diana Deutsch, who has perfect pitch.

(From The Washington Post -- Rachel Saslow)

Volume 24. Indian Dreams

"Truth Alone Truimphs"

When last we heard from roving

Global Around Town

Senior Travel Correspondent

Douglas Wingate

he was holed up in a Palace

in Jaipur!

Here's a little taste

of his recent trip to

"Incredible India"

(as the country's current ad campaign touts):

"We arrived in Delhi on Thursday evening May 14, where we spent our first night at the lovely, lovely Shangri-La Hotel in the heart of New Delhi, just off the central Connaught Circle close by the nearby seats of government , India Gate, and myriad embassies. The Shangri-La, aptly named for the famed paradise of the popular book and Hollywood movie LOST HORIZONS by one Lord Hilton (no relation to the hoteliers of that name, by the way), is not unexpectedly a modern Chinese-born deluxe chain, akin to an Asian Four Seasons. Happily, the hotel in Delhi is truly a veritable traveler's utopia.

For details, see http://www.shangri-la.com/en

The very next day, we set off for the raison d'etre of our trip (or "yatra," as an Indian holy trek is called) -- the town of Pushkar, in the neighboring state of Rajasthan, which is midway between the famed "Pink City" of Jaipur and the equally famed "lake city" of Udaipur (where the James Bond flick, OCTOPUSSY, was famously filmed at that city's many palaces).

Pushkar is home to the ONLY temple in all of India in honor of Lord Brahma, one third of the well-known trinity of Vedic deities: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

As our yatra was intended as a leisurely and luxurious one (although on a very remarkably low budget; see the end of this story for details on that), we first stopped just outside Jaipur, in a gorgeous "Heritage" property known as SAMODE PALACE, a historic royal residence that is spectacularly run as a deluxe hotel nowadays. Our room was big enough to comfortably hold an entire cricket team (India's own unique superstars of sport) -- with a living room, sleeping area, dressing room, writing room, and bi-level bathroom. Although all of it was magnificent, the bath in particular was especially fit for a raj (as kings were called in India). The main floor of the bath was completely modern with a sleek and spacious shower, but there was a special "upstairs" addition (reached by its own set of marble stairs, and surrounded by a carved marble balustrade) where the most glorious tub sat, carved from a single piece of white marble with claw and ball feet no less. But ..., perhaps the piece de resistance was the faucet, which was a marble lions head on the wall, from which bathwater gushed out of the lion's open-jawed throat. A museum piece if ever there was. For more details and pictures, see http://www.samode.com/home/palace/history.htm. The night we were in residence at the palace, we happily enjoyed the special benefits of a Spanish health services company that had rented out the gardens and ballroom (the former Durbar Court room, where the local royalty historically received other dignitaries) for a grand gala evening, including fireworks above the palace grounds. Magic!

The next day, we were off to Pushkar itself, a few hours south of Jaipur. Pushkar is best known to many in the world for its famous annual "camel fair" -- usually held in November. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushkar_Fair

To the spiritual traveler, however, Pushkar is even more famous as being home to the ONLY temple in all of India, dedicated to Lord Brahma the Creator, who is one of the famed triunvirate of Vedic deities that also includes Vishnu the Maintainer, and Shiva the Destroyer. How it is that Brahma has only the one temple in all of the world, while temples to Vishnu and Shiva are as plentiful as McDonald's is worldwide, is a mystery of sorts. There are many competing theories as to the reason for this. To read one of them, see http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-temples/brahma-temple.html. But, what is not in dispute is that if one wishes Brahma's live-in-person blessings, one MUST come to Pushkar!In town for this spiritual purpose, we indeed enjoyed a personalized lakeside puja (prayer ceremony) to curry the Creator's favor, followed by a public evening aarti (fire ceremony) in his honor as well.

Happily, for those seeking these aforementioned spiritual boons, Pushkar -- while a relatively small town -- does nonetheless also have a few royal residences that have been refurbished as first class hotels as well. Most notable are the PUSHKAR PALACE and its sister property, the JAGAT PALACE. We stayed at the latter, which is a lovely heritage hotel that boasts a traditional Indian exterior, along with a very Agatha Christie-like, British Colonial interior. For details on both, see http://www.hotelpushkarpalace.com/

The next day, we started our trek back to New Delhi, stopping in Jaipur proper, well-known as part of the GOLDEN TRIANGLE, the de rigeur grand tour followed by the well-heeled visitor to India: the other points of that triangle being the capital city of Delhi itself, and the city of Agra, home to the nonpareil TAJ MAHAL. Jaipur's historic nickname is the "Pink City" -- so named for the fact that its great City Palace and related royal buildings all were painted a ruddy Salmon Pink, a gesture of honor by the MahaRaj of Jaipur in 1853, when England's Prince of Wales (who of course was to inherit the title of Emporer of India -- until the country gained its independence nearly a hundred years later in 1947), came for a heralded state visit. The buildings have been so painted ever since.

The city is considered by many to be one of the treasures of classical Indian architecture. Uniquely, its design follows the ancient Indian architectural principles of what is known as Vastu (or Sthapatya Veda), a science that has recently been revived for its maximum value by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi,

the modern founder of the worldwide Transcendental Meditation organizaton (See http://www.tm.org/ ). According to Wikipedia ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaipur -- for all manner of detail of what to see and do in Jaipur):

Architecture
Jaipur is considered by many urbanists to be one of the best planned cities. In an era when most of the rajputs were busy fighting with each other, Jaipur's kings diplomatically broadened their control sphere maintaining good relations with the Mughals.
The city was planned according to Indian Vastu Shastra (Vedic or Pouranic Planning for the comfort and prosperity of the citizens). The directions of each street and market are east to West and North to South. The Eastern gate is called Suraj (Sun) Pol, while the Western gate is called Chand (Moon) Pol. There are only three gates facing East, West, and North including the Northern gate (known as Zorawar Singh gate) which faces toward the ancestral capital of Amber, while many gates face South.
Although the present city has expanded from outside of its walls, the original planning was within the walls. The gates used to be closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. Almost all Northern Indian towns of that period presented a chaotic picture of narrow twisting lanes, a confusion of run-down forts, temples, palaces, and temporary shacks that bore no resemblance at all to the principles set out in Hindu architectural manuals which call for strict geometric planning. Thus, for Sawai Jai Singh II and the Bengali Guru Vidyadhar (who was a 'Shaspati' - Hindu Priest Architect), the founding of Jaipur was also a ritual and a bronze opportunity to plan a whole town according to the principles of Hindu architectural theory.
The town of Jaipur is built in the form of a eight-part Mandala known as the 'Pithapada'. Nine signifies the nine planets of the ancient astrological zodiac. It is also known that Sawai Jai Singh II was a great astronomer and a town planner, and hence the 'Pithapada'. Also, the commercial shops are designed in multiples of nine (27), having one cross street for a planet.

As a perhaps-interesting, modern sidenote, there is in fact one city in the United States also planned entirely according to this same ancient wisdom of Vastu. It is Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa's newest city, where all the homes also are aligned with the four directions, and the entrances to the home are always to the East, in tune with the natural enlivening power of the Sun as it rises in the East, thereby promoting each home's inhabitants enhanced good fortune and health (See http://www.sthapatyaveda.com/ ).

(As a further note of full disclosure, your humble writer has one of his homes in this very same Maharish Vedic City!)

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharishi_Vedic_City,_Iowa

Back in Jaipur however, we ensconced ourselves in the sister property of the SAMODE PALACE, known as the SOMODE HAVELI, basically a city palace built by the same royals that built the magnificent country estate in which we had earlier stayed two nights before. Like the palace, the city residence HAVELI, is now run as a truly deluxe hotel, with every amenity that a global deluxe traveler seeks, but also with all the grandeur and character of a "heritage" experience. As only one example, the grand swimming pool at the HAVELI had the currently de rigeur poolside canopied beds, along with enormous bedside standing fans (sadly or more aptly -- mercifully, there are no servants with animal-hair fans anymore!) to keep guests cool as a cucumber in this desert state of Rajasthan. Of all the sites to see in Jaipur (including such highlights as the famed Palace of the Winds, or Hawa Mahal, and the grand Amber Fort outside of town), the most unusual is undoubtedly the JANTAR MANTAR, an improbable, larger-than-life, Vedic astronomical/astrological park just off Jaipur's main City Palace. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jantar_Mantar_(Jaipur)Its giant instruments, which dwarf a man, feel like one has entered a giant's chess -- or similar game -- board. Just extraordinary! For a modern understanding of these fantastifcal intruments from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, see http://www.vedicobservatory.org/

The next day we headed "home" to Delhi, where we returned to our utopian Shangri-La again. While Delhi abounds with urban pleasures, we chose to pursue our spiritual aims still, and visited several of the city's lesser-known (at least to the typical tourist I think) temples that honor the Indian version of the Virgen Mary -- known as DEVI, or translated into English as MOTHER DIVINE. To many, there is no more powerful Devi temple in Delhi than the KALKA JI temple ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalkaji ), virtually hidden next to the modern architectural masterpiece, the Baha'i Lotus temple, built to resemble a giant marble lotus flower (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Temple ). While the Baha'i temple is gorgeous visually, the KALKA JI temple offers amazing "darshan," or blessings, to those who come to receive the beneficence of Mother Divine. This power is related to the fact that it is one of the famed some-64 SHAKTI PEETHA temples, which are natural power centers emating from the cosmic power of the cosmically divine mother.

(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakti_Peethas )

And lemme tell ya, a visit here is indeed one very wonderful mind-blowing experience -- wow, wow, wow!

We also visited another lesser known temple (to toursits at least, that is), called YOGA MAYA Mandir, (very close to the tourist hot spot of the KUTUBH MINAR. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutb_Minar ). The Yoga Maya temple is also a temple to Mother Divine, in this case the sister of Lord Krishna, of Bhagavad Gita fame. This temple's beauty is more settled, with a serenity that is enveloping -- a very good place to settle in for some deep meditation, taking with one the motherly protections of Krishna's sister, Yoga Maya herself.

As a final tourists' note, I will say that May is a great time to visit India. It's the time when many Indians head off on traditional Himalayan yatras. It's also before the monsoon rains arrive a month later. It is hot, hot in Delhi and Rajasthan but that's fine when staying royally -- as we did, all of which were cooled by very efficient A/C. Best of all perhaps is that since this is not peak tourist season, all of the aforementioned royal luxury may be had by a relative pauper, like us! No room in which we stayed was over $175, and most (the Heritage palaces in fact) were closer to $100. In contrast, compare the "in-season" rates at the deluxe Shangri-La, which can cost upwards of USD$500 in October through March.So, for a very glamorous, but budget-minded, trip to "Incredible India" -- try the off-season. You'll love it, I think!

The topnotch travel agent I used to make everything effortless for me, for many trips to India now (6 or more maybe) my now good friend Ranjan Gaur, who owns his own Delhi-based travel agency, that offers travel service for any and all trips in India, but with a special emphasis on "spiritual India." He's definitely the guy to go to when you want to get off the beaten track to see what's cooking in mystical matters. Of course, he is great at making sure you can enjoy your creature comforts too, as he was the one responsible for us getting an unheard-of low price at the deluxe Shangri-La in Delhi, for only some $160 a night right now. He also was the one who suggested the 3 luxury "Heritage property" hotels on this trip too. He is a very amiable fellow, who comes from the Brahmin caste (highest, priestly caste) of society, so he has knowledge and entree where some may not. His English is now excellent, and he can joke with complete ease with Americans and Europeans -- which is a real treat in my book. He has his own luxury van (a Toyota minivan with captains chairs, and great A/C) available in Delhi, and road trips beyond, along with excellent, safe drivers. For the money, I'd use him every time!

His details are:

Ranjan Gaur
RUDRAKSH HOLIDAYS B- 602, Ansal Chamber - I, 3 Bhikaji Cama Place New Delhi - 110066

Tele :- 0091 11 46150718 / 2619 8701 /2619 8702
Fax :- 0091 11 2619 8702 Mobile :- 0091 98103 21044

Web :- http://www.indiantigerstours.com/ ;

http://www.tajmahaltoursinindia.com/

BEST EMAIL: "Gaur, Ranjan" <rudrakshholidays@gmail.com>. "

Many thanks to our inveterate traveler Doug Wingate

and to Wikipedia for their photos.

Volume 23. The "Altiplano" of Bolivia and Peru

He whirls,

he twirls...

He is truly faster than a locomotive

or a speeding bullet!

Global Around Town

Senior Travel Correspondent

Doug Wingate

has just returned from another fascinating journey

with this to report!

"I arrived in Bolivia via my home in South Beach, FL, on AA's nonstop to La Paz (the capital city). To most bright young things coming of age in the 80s, Bolivia perhaps is most famous in the U.S. for its "Bolivian marching powder," celebrated in Jay McInerney's 1980s novel, BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY. Because the city is so high, altitude sickness is a real problem for many visitors coming from lower altitudes. Happily, the most effective cure for this malady is a tea (mate) made from the dried leaves of the famed coca plant (FYI, the coca plant must be heavily processed to produce its famous medicinal derivative, cocaine). All of the top hotels have the tea available round the clock in their lobbies, in order to alleviate their guests' discomfort from this potential altitude malady. Another side note is that the local natives still chew the fresh leaves of the coca plant, for energy in this rarefied atmosphere, where the air is truly thin and the heights vertiginous. The current president, Evo Morales, is the first, non-European, descendent of the ancient pre-Colombian civilizations that inhabited this part of South America before the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, conquering the last of those early civilizations, the Incans. For more on Bolivia's current political scene, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia.

La Paz is a modern city of nearly a million people, built in a spectacular bowl ringed by the majestic Andes. I stayed at one of the city's most notable 5 star hotels, the Radisson, which is a fine place that has hosted most of the political and entertainment celebrities that have come to town in the last few decades, although I would say that the place is in need of a facelift soon. I understand the Latin American luxury chain, Camino Real, has a newer all-suite, 5 star property that has recently opened, so it may be a nice alternative for those seeking top notch accomodations.

The main tourist attractions within the city may be enjoyed easily in a day. There are many spectacular and/or charming 1500s and 1600s Catholic churches to view, plus some unique markets for the folk art and products of the local campesinos (the indigenous population), who to this day wear the internationally well-known garb of ponchos, multi-petticoated skirts, and bowler hats -- the latter worn exclusively by the women, and seemingly too small and thus balanced improbably on their heads a la a Jackie Kennedy Onassis pillbox! The most famous of these campesino markets is the Witches Market, known locally as the Mercado de Hechiceria, where one can buy many an unusual thing, including the de rigeur dried llama fetus for good luck when building one's new home. It's an interestingly peculiar variaton on Harry Potter's Diagon Alley.

There is also the aptly named Valley of the Moon, a unique, wind-carved, veritable moonscape at the bottom of the city's bowl. The peaks of the Andes, ever so high, maintain their majestic snowcaps year-round.

On my second day, I set out on a 4 hour trek to Lake Titicaca, the reason for my visit. This largest lake of South America is on the border between Bolivia and Peru, and sits. The biggest town on the Bolivian side of the lake is Copacabana, which is home to the truly beautiful 1500s, spectacularly tiled, Basilica de la Virgen Morena, also home to a magnificent statue of the Virgin inspired by a local native woman, hence the name (The Black [or brown] Virgin). Her fame is countrywide, and she is considered the patron saint of all of Bolivia.

From the port of Copacabana, one can (and I did) take a boat out to the Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun), so named by the the Incans, and attributed by them to be the birthplace of their revered Sun God. This is also home to a reputed Fountain of Youth, which -- at the very least -- is a lovely hill-fed natural spring. Thanks to my tour guides, I enjoyed a private luncheon in a charming private garden on a local cliff, overlooking the lake and the nearby Isla de la Luna (the Island of the Moon), having locally grown, organic, vegetables, as well as fresh trout from Lake Titicaca itself. Gorgeous views and fine lunch!

After returning to Copacabana, I was handed off to my Peruvian tour guides at the border just a few miles north, where we set out for another 4 hour trip to the principal tourist town in Peru -- Puno. Puno boasts a population of well over a million, however where they all are, I could not say, as what I saw looks not too different than the charming Copacabana, Bolivia, which has a population of only some 6,000! There are several deluxe properties in Puno, especially a few miles out of town. One is the 5 star Libertador, while I stayed very closey by at the also very charming, very new Casa Andina, Private Collection (not to be confused with several other Casa Andina properties in downtown Puno). http://www.peru-hotels.com/puncaspvp.htm.

Most of the rooms at both the Libertador and Casa Andina Privada have gorgeous lake views, and private docks from which one can enjoy one of many lake excursions. I was flabbergasted to discover that my hotel, the Casa Andina had a first rate restaurant. In fact, I enjoyed a meal there my first night that I would count as one of the very finest I've had in a long time. The chef used local Kingfish, fresh from the lake, and complimented it with the freshest vegetables prepared in an ethereal tempura that was as light and crisp as any I've encountered in the world. What a delightful surpise indeed!

The next day on the lake, I went to see the unique "floating" Uros Islands, home to the Uros Indians, who some 500 years ago, allegedly for defensive reasons, moved onto the lake itself, building their own low-tech version of Venice. These artificial islands are actually woven by their inhabitants from the naturally abundant local totora reeds. There currently are some 40 reed islands loosely linked into a community, and accessible only by boat. The Indians also weave those same reeds into navigable boats, as well as homes on top of the islands. The locals even include the totora reed in their diets, supplemented by local fish and fowl. Astounding!

In the afternoon, I was off to visit the Peruvian equivalent of Egypt's pyramids, the Sillustani tombs, just off nearby Lake Umayo. These unusual, inverted cone-shaped pyramids were built by the ancient predecessors of the Incans, the Aymara people.

The next day, I was off for a long drive back to the Bolivian border, where I was again handed off to my La Paz guides, en route to the most ancient of locally discovered archeological sites, Tihuanaco or Tiwanaku, which significantly predates the more famed (and admittedly more scenic) Macchu Picchu. The pre-Colombian culture developed here is the foundation for the later-to-come Aymarans, and even later Incans. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiwanaku

One of the focal points of early architecture here is the massive Gateway of the Sun, which was so perfectly constructed, situated and aligned with the heavens, that each solar equinox -- to this day even -- the rising sun shines through this gateway on that day only. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zonnepoort_tiwanaku.jpg "

Many thanks to our intrepid traveler,

who is holed up in a lovely palace in Jaipur,

at this very moment!

(photos courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Brilliant Painter - Ken Buhler

Many years ago, more than I'd like to acknowledge, I was a printmaker. I'd attended The Cranbrook Academy of Art for my MFA. And following that I was invited to The MacDowell Colony. MacDowell, which is Heaven on Earth for artists, is situated in Peterborough, NH., on beautiful rolling hills, and woods near Mt. Monadnock. It is in this glorious setting, that artists of all types, are allowed to create their works without interuption. I was there with some fascinating and talented people including composers W. Burle Marx, Gail Kubick, and Thomas Oboe Lee, writers Madison Smart Bell and Orville Schell, and visual artists Virginia Buchan, Susan Roth and Ken Buhler. My studio, next to a Hopper-esque hill with a Red Barn, connected with Ken's. And when I heard his Pat Metheny playing , I'd counter with some Milton Nascimento. He might play some Aretha... I'd put on some Jarrett. In short we became great friends. And while we'd leave each other alone to create our Art, there were times when I would go check out Ken's work and maybe even watch him create. This was always very interesting as Ken might seemingly have a piece completed only to demolish it with a few strokes of his brush. How many great images could this guy come up with? Apparently quite a few. As I mentioned earlier, it has been many years. Ken has been painting, drawing, creating monotypes, exhibiting and teaching throughout. His works are terribly special. Ken is a great painter and friend, and so it is my privilege to be highlighting him here. You may want to start off with the video piece which might give you an idea as to how he creates. Then move on to the drawings, monotypes, and paintings.

Here's what Ken had to say about a few of the recent drawings:

"The series is called "Notes From The Edge Of The World" and is inspired by the Ireland trip. Below is a statement I wrote about this work, particularly the last paragraph. The title of the series was inspired by the view from our cottage. I told someone there that it felt like the edge of the world, and they said actually that if you drew a line straight north from where I was standing, I wouldn't hit land until the Arctic.

The statement:

My relationship to abstraction has been changing in recent years. Sources in the physical world have become more prominent as catalysts in my process of making a painting or drawing. The first manifestation of this in my work came after a trip to Tulum, Mexico.

At this time, I became fascinated with the meandering and convoluting lines of the ossified brain coral that lay washed up on the beach. Months later, without conscious intention, these forms found their way into my painting through the rhythmical movement of my hand, almost as a mimic to the linear convolutions of the coral (that I was seeing everyday now at home as I had transported a great deal of it from Mexico).

This connection to the coral was sustained and evolved through a series of paintings and drawings aptly called the Coral Series (2005 - 2007).

Paying attention to the natural world is not a new thing to me in my work, but with the Coral Series, there came a departure from the way this interest had manifested itself in the past. “Process” became a direct guide (as opposed to a discreet image) and this new focus seems to have revitalized my studio practice.

This impulse continued to evolve during the past summer as I spent a month on an artist’s residency in Ireland. There I worked along the northwest coast, in daily contact with the fascinating tide pools, and the marine life and fossils that are a part of that environment. Soon this experience was filtering into my work.

Since I couldn’t really bring it home with me, I photographed and filmed extensively the layered images created by waves, creatures, and vegetation flowing over a substrate of amazing geological forms.

Though I have not resolved this new body of work enough to include it in my application, the nature of this new influence is turning out, as with the Coral Series, to be more experiential and less imagistic in its import.

In addition to the direct visual stimulation of the environment I encountered in Ireland, I was energized by the tangible presence of the ancient history that literally simmers right at the surface there - in the form of Neolithic tombs, ruins of castles and abbeys, abundant fossils, and a vivid geological history.

I felt a strong sense of a time on earth when all was not charted and documented - when the “terra incognita” of the world left mapmakers and scientists with only the option of imaginative and artistic speculation.

I guess there is romance in the mystery of not knowing what lies over the horizon, and it resonates with the sense I have of my own role as an artist –

a feeling that I am a chronicler of something important that has yet to be revealed –

a way of seeing, thinking, or feeling that I hope others need to know to help them understand better.

Though I am not sure I could say what this is, I can only hope that looking at my pictures will allow it to come to light."

Ken will be exhibiting his works this Fall at
Lesley Heller Gallery N.Y.C.

Find out more about the artist at:

www.kenbuhler.net