In the Autumn of 1993 I had the opportunity to present a one man art show. It was presented under the auspices of The Grand Rapids Community Colleges Art Department and specifically under the advisement of one of the departments professors, Dick Stein.
Up until that time I had been grappling with the reality of my mothers diagnosis of advanced dementia. It occured to me that up until that point in my life time I had not paid much attention to close and distant family members. How many had passed, how many were still around and how many would help me come to terms with my that emptiness.
I called a number of surviving relatives who were more than willing to help me fill in the blanks. Pictures, stories, letters you name it it had all lovingly become available to me.
While going over the treasury of photos I had collected I thought that the only way I could get to know my Grandparents, my Great Grandparents, Uncles, etc I never knew was to paint them. To take the time to mull over the photographs, look at the laugh lines, read the eyes, sense the pride and portray it on canvas. In that process I had been in touch with Dick and asked for some assistance in my efforts and he suggested an independent study might be a way to approach this endeavor. I did so in the late fall of 1992, and as I was plying my way along he approached me about the possibility of a one man art show. I agreed and a desire to Art once more was born again.
Luckily my mother was able to attend the opening. A chance to bring the Choate family back to life again for one month in the facilities of the Grand Rapids Community College Learning Center was realized that autumn of 1993.
In Nature, There Are No Straight Lines,
Only Bloodlines.
The one thing about this project
that keeps coming to mind
is the prospect of reunion.
When the final light is dimmed tonight
in the Learning Center
who will speak first?
Who will right wrongs?
Who will sing?
and who will return thanks
for this opportunity to be together again.
This show is dedicated to my mother
Evelyn L. Biggs (Choate)
and her family
who made it through hard times
with good humor
and right full life.
These are the people
who have made me
who I am today
and to have been able
to capture their spirit
and share it today
is to honor them.
Up until that time I had been grappling with the reality of my mothers diagnosis of advanced dementia. It occured to me that up until that point in my life time I had not paid much attention to close and distant family members. How many had passed, how many were still around and how many would help me come to terms with my that emptiness.
I called a number of surviving relatives who were more than willing to help me fill in the blanks. Pictures, stories, letters you name it it had all lovingly become available to me.
While going over the treasury of photos I had collected I thought that the only way I could get to know my Grandparents, my Great Grandparents, Uncles, etc I never knew was to paint them. To take the time to mull over the photographs, look at the laugh lines, read the eyes, sense the pride and portray it on canvas. In that process I had been in touch with Dick and asked for some assistance in my efforts and he suggested an independent study might be a way to approach this endeavor. I did so in the late fall of 1992, and as I was plying my way along he approached me about the possibility of a one man art show. I agreed and a desire to Art once more was born again.
Luckily my mother was able to attend the opening. A chance to bring the Choate family back to life again for one month in the facilities of the Grand Rapids Community College Learning Center was realized that autumn of 1993.
In Nature, There Are No Straight Lines,
Only Bloodlines.
The one thing about this project
that keeps coming to mind
is the prospect of reunion.
When the final light is dimmed tonight
in the Learning Center
who will speak first?
Who will right wrongs?
Who will sing?
and who will return thanks
for this opportunity to be together again.
This show is dedicated to my mother
Evelyn L. Biggs (Choate)
and her family
who made it through hard times
with good humor
and right full life.
These are the people
who have made me
who I am today
and to have been able
to capture their spirit
and share it today
is to honor them.