The Brink
Hey distant but close friends,
The gravity of our days is fierce and has been somewhat paralyzing considering what may come, but I still would like to share, and have you share as well. Stories help.
Last summer was a challenging time for me, which in retrospect, falls into that perspective that is always impossible when one is standing knee deep in rising waters. My life was going either in one direction or another. That's it. Two roads diverged and both were fraught with unknowns that at the time were somewhat terrifying. Being as sensitive as I am... sleepless nights were common. As is often the case for me, all this manifests in my artwork. I made a panel called "The Brink." It's large, nearly four feet by eight feet and tremendously complex, as you can tell by the detail images that follow.
There stands, just right of center, a lookout tower under a shower of iridescent rain. It is anthropomorphized architecture--a person--with the windows for observation at the top, exactly the way our eyes are placed on our bodies. Left of center is the Orb, the ball of energy, with which, on so many days, we find ourselves having a mandatory staring match. Is it finances? Is it your relationship? An addiction, a worry over the kids, aging parents, the small but insistent fretting, house paint, car repair, knee pain, gaining weight, losing weight, tuition, is my job secure, should I finally call, am I the person I know that I can truly be before the lights go out... ??
There's a garden, full of spiked geometry and blossoms. There's a wandering cloud, an EKG, ripples on the water, a sunrise, the wind, rain, the moon, the house in the distance, a pyramid small - that upon inspection becomes enormous, encasing the three-dimensional schematic for the time machine that might be the best answer. There's the void. There's the far distant teeny, tiny tower reminding you that you are not alone in the staring match. Layers and layers... the void. Our planet from space... The horizontal broad beam of light holding up the tower...
Yep. That is all in there and a single paragraph doesn't begin to explain what is what, but...
My path emerged. I made some choices and life is better. No one bought "The Brink." Then came the political explosion of the impeachment inquiry. Is this the collapse of our democracy? A tyrant or just a careless man in power? Immigration. Election interference. Greed. Lies. The Brink! And the country survived. (For now).
And now. The Brink! The entire world upended and so many of our assumptions of normal destroyed. The abyss of tomorrow or next week or next month. The Orb of energy looks suspiciously like the sphere of a virus, dark and menacing. The energy ball of focus and its streaming wind of airborne broken glass cannot be willed away. It's huge. And close.
Is this art piece some talisman of prescience? Well, yes. It is. My unconscious made this metaphor last summer that on this very day rings bright and loud. It's a scary world we find ourselves facing but, and this is the moment of salvation, there is always the energy ball. That short list of worries above never goes away. It's an endless list and terrifying to stare at. Some of us will make it through this alive. For a while. With hope, a long while. Some won't. That's how this works. What seemed the brink before was and then wasn't. And then was again and then wasn't. And now...
On the panel protecting the tower/me/us is a force field. Almost nothing gets through and what little does, there is a wall of massive organic complexity perfectly engineered to handle it. The concept of a force field of protection will be the subject of my next missive. Please stay tuned. I have been fascinated since childhood by the notion of a field of visible or invisible power that protects us, can shield us from ray guns, catapults, destructor beams, meanies, orcs... Sometimes it's blue and sparkly, depending on which movie you are watching or the book in your hands. I am hard at work in the studio making force fields for all of you people. You can buy one to protect your family. But these are my metaphors. The real Force Field is us. Today I am surrounded by people, (ok, they are standing over there, close, but not too close) who are the reason we will get through all this. The strength of us all together is it. Yes, this is the BRINK. We will look different after and there will be another brink, but the force of us together is how we will prevail. My energy field is yours to use. We got this. There are too many brilliant, dedicated, caring-beyond-reason humans who truly are the Jedi among us. Nobility is in our DNA. Do your best. Stay safe. Send love every day. Support those who need it. We all need it...
And btw, somebody please buy "The Brink" as my two Spring shows in NYC didn't happen. Make me an offer with what might work for you and we'll see if it works for me. My summer show in Seattle probably won't fly either. Support the arts. Now. Making metaphors helps. Crazy huh? Who knew. Can't make this up...
More love every day,
Bruce Mac
P.S. My personal brink of last summer means I now have a partner in my life. She's awesome. I'm lucky.
