In so many ways our preoccupation with time and measurements are what keep us sane.
Without these increments to guide our lives our world would plunge into chaos. Our
hectic lives are mapped out in minutes, inches, gallons and now bits and bytes. We
unconsciously rely on a variety of measurements every time we make a purchase, eat a
meal, travel, or simply schedule an appointment. Although we cling to these calculations
in order to rule our lives and guide our future, we have an astonishing propensity to
ignore them when it comes to the very survival of our species.
We are currently in the eleventh hour as the life-blood of our water planet diminishes at
an alarming rate. While we are able to accurately measure and gauge the effects we are
having, our course remains largely unchanged despite the knowledge that our ship is now
upon the rocks. Yet, we are simultaneously at zero hour, the beginning of time, and the
course of our future depends on our actions from this moment forward.
Contextualizing the issues between control and the effects we, as stewards, have on our
host, this body of work represents meditations on critical events that affect us all. It also
addresses the question of a larger responsibility. Is it possible that beyond our physical
survival, there is a moral and spiritual duty to be better caretakers? If the macrocosm of
our universe mirrors the microcosm within ourselves, what does it mean that we’ve
become a species that soils its own nest?
These prints are a vehicle to explore my own spiritual travels. They are a step toward
connecting the threads between temporal and ethereal worlds; a look into ourselves,
while looking outward at the vast workings of time and space. The use of hands
represents a duality that discusses the control we retain versus the control we place in our
faith and hope. Actions are performed against a backdrop of stillness and contemplation.
Rich Gere lives and works in Atlanta GA where he is Chair of the Printmaking
Department at SCAD-Atlanta. He has taken part in over 100 group and solo exhibitions
in the United States, Europe and Asia including: Art Chicago, Chicago IL: The Corcoran
Museum, Washington DC; Artists Space, New York NY; Anchor Graphics, Chicago IL;
Sichuan Fine Arts Academy, Sichuan Province, China; University of Alaska, Anchorage
AK; Milwaukee Institute for Art and Design, Milwaukee WI; Penn State, University Park
PA. Select collections include; Memorial Health Systems, Savannah GA; Knoxville
Museum of Art, Knoxville TN; Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris, France; Custom
Recording Studios, Nashville TN; Traprock Peace Center, Greenfield MA and Kroger
Corporation, Columbus OH.
|
