Listen, woodcut with low relief sculpture, 2018, 164.50 x 42 x 4 in.
quotations from Christopher Logue, War Music and Leslie Jamison, The Empathy exams

photo credit: Toni Hafkenscheid

Wider than the sky, an exhibition of large woodcuts and a mixed media project

I feel that everything we value (ourselves, our relationships, our country, our planet) is fragile and we have to find a way not to be overwhelmed by the anger and noise around us and work together to find common ground.

Wider than the sky uses the imagination to locate patterns that bring the vast macro and micro scales of science (the cosmos, DNA) together with text and objects, the daily gestures and concerns of a clamorous world. It's like looking at the stars and thinking "Here I am, part of this in some small way." It's not a lonely thought; it connects us to an orderly universe - one growing infinitesimally more comprehensible - a comforting thought right now.

Rather than attempting to overwhelm the viewer, the artist leaves "breathing spaces" in these complex systems, breaks for perspective and attention, to reaffirm human values of kindness and consideration and let us listen to each other.

Thanks to John Deal, the OCADU faculty member who initiated and continues to oversee the Digital painting residency at OCADU and also to Darrell Currington for his patience and technical intuition.