In this show, I present works from two recent photo-collage projects: the first entitled 'Cat Dreams', and the second entitled 'Once Upon a Time'. This body of work (though no one would guess it by looking) was born out of profound grief and loneliness which moved into my life like a quiet, dark, and slow-moving storm, after the passing of my mother, in the autumn of 2024. In many of the collages, a somber, black-and-white, or muted, background is juxtaposed with colorful creatures or flowers. Both bodies of work feature the combining of color elements with monochrome (or desaturated colors), bringing subtle tention into the pieces.

The darker elements, can be interpreted, directly, as a reflectionof the grief around my personal loss, but also (at the forefront of mymind, in the wake of my mother’s death) the sobering realization that ALL living creatures will, not only suffer death themselves, but also (beforehand, or in the process), lose EVERYONE to whom they have formed an attachment. This reality is the canvas, so-to-speak, on which all of life is painted.

The colorful and playful elements are the infusion of my mother’s spirit. Though not a silly person, she did, indeed, have a silly and delightful sense of humor, that flowed naturally from her even in the most adverse of situations. I did not plan these collages or begin with the idea that they were, in any way, about my mother and/or the grief over her death. However, I found her spirit naturally flowed through me into my creations. She is so much a part of my being and consciousness, that her spirit bubbles through me, at times, like a natural spring.

Other themes and archetypes show themselves in these works, particularly, the 'Cat Dreams' series: First, the transparent figures, which signify the dream state, and so too, the glow around certain figures. Sometimes it is the dreamer (the cat) who is illuminated, sometimes the subject of the dream who is illuminated. Arches play a prominent role, symbolizing passage through to another state, as do pathways leading toward the horizon. Butterflies also show up frequently, representing a flight-of-fancy, or departure from the ordinary.

The collaged images in the 'Once Upon a Time' came about a little more intentionally, and feature old family photographs of my mother as a child, her parents (my grandparents) and/or her sister. This body of work features some of the same symbology seen in the previous work (Cat Dreams) with additional elements at play, notably water - representing memory and reflection - and trees, also representing memory as well as quiet fortitude.

These works are intended to be little poetries – works which (hopefully) resonate with the viewer, without interpretations, explanations or, indeed, any intellectual exercise at all – a direct communication from artist to viewer which bypasses language.

With some of these, Anthony provided the source images for my collages (the two entitled "Cats Guard My Dreams"); in others ("Ghost Farms" & "A Great Wind"), I provided technical assistance in producing Anthony's collages, with the originating vision and creative direction being his.

I would also like to note two of Anthony's which were made in a very unique and innovative way, involving manual layering of transparent images and then photographing them – no digital layering involved. These works are “The Haunted Violin” and “Transparencies”.

I am honored to share in the creative process with Anthony and to include his work in this show, as he is a true, life-long artist, and my own journey into art would have been very different – had it not been for our association and friendship. So, I extend a heartfelt Thank You to Anthony!