“Toward Heaven Still”

In a couple of his poems (“After Apple Picking and “Birches”), Robert Frost invoked both imagery and metaphor through the phrase, “toward heaven” and “toward heaven still.” I’ve often thought this towering pin oak, anchored in less than three feet of water at the north end of Schweitzer marsh, was “pointed toward heaven still”; ascending from its base, reaching into the firmament. Exploring the marsh and the beech groves as young boys of ten or eleven, my friends and I could always spot this tree above the others and orient ourselves. The pin oaks were already dead and ghostly by the late 50’s, almost seventy years ago, yet the grove “still” stands. More than I can say for myself at times.

“Like to the blackbird at break of day arising … “

The title, inspired and only slightly corrupted, was appropriated from a line in Shakespeare’s 29th sonnet. This is a companion to the April marsh image I posted three days ago. The sun, still diffused by early mist, was only about twenty minutes above the horizon. Returning from its winter migration, a redwing blackbird posed atop an pin oak remnant.

A subtle reminder we have only three months to go.

“Untitled”

“Untitled II”

My preoccupation with geese traces to childhood and the scarcity of what now has become abundant. This is the second in a series. Note, the gander trails the female always protecting his territory.

What works (I think) about this image is the context (marsh grass in the foreground) and the center focused composition.

“September Meadow”

Late September and early October in northeast Ohio are warm in hue … landscapes changing subtly each day.  Summer’s decedents, some lost in shadow, others flame. Field grasses disappearing in the moment; ironweed, goldenrod slowly burning until extinguished.

Seed-heads across Squire Valleevue Farm stand in relief against a background of goldenrod, asters and late meadow grasses, many verdant until a frost.

Autumn brings to mind the last stanza of Robert Frost’s poem “Reluctance”

“Rails into Autumn”

This is the scene I’ve walked into for sixty years. An arching pin oak or two have passed since my childhood but new ones rise. What has never changed are the rails, rails that take me into each season, ones that orient me through snow, morning fog, autumn hues and a lifetime of magenta mornings and afternoon shadows.

Home of Bonnie Humphry                                            “Jed” Ltd Ed of 10, C.G. Baker

STILL POINT INTRODUCES “ART IN CONTEXT”

In the last forty-fifty years, “Contextual Art”,   has been described abstrusely as a concept that seeks to define “art” in a relativistic sphere of social and cultural ideologies and myths .  In a simpler, hopefully more intelligible way, we have coined “Art in Place” to define art in the “context” of its physical surroundings; the relationship of an artist’s work to the size of the room for instance, or the arrangement of furniture, adjacent artwork, colors and placement.  Much of what we do in the gallery has been to assist customers with their art selections based on their verbal descriptions of the room(s) where they intend to “place” a piece. In a tribute to technology, and to better evaluate the suitability of a work, our customers are using their smart-phones images to show us photos of their intended rooms for various art works.  This is great way for us to assist in the selection process. Our assistance extends to a service  that allows our customers to evaluate pieces in their homes.

“Art in Place” is our new website section that features art works (photographs, prints, paintings, sculpture, ceramics and other unique objects) purchased from the gallery as they are displayed in our customer’s homes.  Over the last eight years we have kept a growing inventory of photographs from customers who have been excited to share images of their art in their homes or offices. The pictures are wonderful, not only for the transformative aspect of the art but as a contextual window into the lives and interests of people we’ve come to know.

While the iPhone has become the great “enabler”, regular camera images have also come our way and Geoff has had an opportunity to get some photographs as well.  With the imminent launch (April 30) of a dedicated “Art in Place” section on our website we would like to encourage those of you who may be interested to forward photos of art you’ve purchased from the gallery.  We can post these with or without attribution if you prefer to remain anonymous.  The important thing is we get to share a variety of interesting scenes and inspiring ways to display art.  The quality of the photographs you send is secondary; it’s the context surrounding the art, its relationship to the rest of a room (furniture, colors and placement) that is most interesting to others.

As a further incentive, anyone who has a photo published will be entered into an end of the year drawing to receive one of Geoff’s limited edition prints.