Taking It Slow

Surfacing from mysterious waters,

red koi are seen above a labyrinth of

squiggles and lines, the water

not water, but hallucinogenic blemishes

of green, lavender, yellow, gold–

the overwhelming sensation of being

submerged in loud, unrelenting background

noise, the sudden understanding of koi

struggling below, entangled in a net

of anxious disorientation.

 

Viewing a sample of this artist’s

mixed-media abstract is like entering a

universe of colliding messages, of

merging meanings–and if I’m honest,

I am blinded by my own prejudices, unable,

even afraid to see what essential truth the artist

had hoped to reveal. By slowing down,

becoming more attentive, more personally

engaged–I find, quite unexpectedly,

the surprise of a kindred spirit.