April 29, 2009 - Cleveland, Ohio - Sometimes art isn't sexy or pretty. Sometimes it's ugly but maybe then it's meant to make you think. Maybe, just maybe when you do look at it you'll think about how lucky you are to have a wall to hang it on.
In December of 2007 I issued my print "there but for…", a homeless man sleeping on a bench on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It's not pretty and it's not meant to be. Some see a bum. "Get a job," some say or think. I see "there but for the grace of God go I." This was intended to be the first in a series of ugly contemporary / modern art prints meant to make you think. Maybe, hopefully make you appreciate that you were given the tools to thrive and not just survive in this world. Something to display on your wall that when you glance at it you remember you could have been born to parents who were homeless. You could have been born without the tools to succeed. If the dice of life would have rolled just a little different that could be you.
Some years back I had the opportunity to do a major photo project for the Salvation Army. I finished that multi day project a different man. I was emotionally drained from seeing the kids born into this world with virtually nothing and even the adults, the parents that for whatever reason didn't have the tools to do anything more than survive let alone raise children. We see the salvation Army on TV during disasters or after a fire in someone's home when they come to help. These people deal with life's disasters every day. Not just after a hurricane, a tornado, a flood or a fire but every single day. I never knew how much they do until I saw it for myself. I never knew how hard of a job that is until I saw and experienced it for myself.
Seeing what these fine folks at the Salvation Army do I learned it would be easier to deal with the victims of a flood or a fire or even a hurricane. These victims you know or at least believe that with some help they can put their lives back together again. For them, you believe, tomorrow will be better. Then there are the hundreds you deal with that as much as you want to help you know the best you can do is help them to simply live until tomorrow until they're back the next day.
In December of 2007 I issued my print "there but for…", a homeless man sleeping on a bench on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It's not pretty and it's not meant to be. Some see a bum. "Get a job," some say or think. I see "there but for the grace of God go I." This was intended to be the first in a series of ugly contemporary / modern art prints meant to make you think. Maybe, hopefully make you appreciate that you were given the tools to thrive and not just survive in this world. Something to display on your wall that when you glance at it you remember you could have been born to parents who were homeless. You could have been born without the tools to succeed. If the dice of life would have rolled just a little different that could be you.
Some years back I had the opportunity to do a major photo project for the Salvation Army. I finished that multi day project a different man. I was emotionally drained from seeing the kids born into this world with virtually nothing and even the adults, the parents that for whatever reason didn't have the tools to do anything more than survive let alone raise children. We see the salvation Army on TV during disasters or after a fire in someone's home when they come to help. These people deal with life's disasters every day. Not just after a hurricane, a tornado, a flood or a fire but every single day. I never knew how much they do until I saw it for myself. I never knew how hard of a job that is until I saw and experienced it for myself.
Seeing what these fine folks at the Salvation Army do I learned it would be easier to deal with the victims of a flood or a fire or even a hurricane. These victims you know or at least believe that with some help they can put their lives back together again. For them, you believe, tomorrow will be better. Then there are the hundreds you deal with that as much as you want to help you know the best you can do is help them to simply live until tomorrow until they're back the next day.
Continue reading There but for the Grace of God go I - Some damn ugly art.
