About
The old man--God made his skin cracked and voice severe, his eyes creased, and lips crinkled: signs, I assured myself, of patience, wisdom, knowledge, and virtue. As a child, I longed to be old. In my naive hopes, it symbolized a burden-free and knowledge-filled existence. Each sign, I idealized with my ignorance and fascination, and revered with innocence and obsession, pinning on to them with desperate hands my hopes and ambitions.
As I aged, I outgrew the idealized lens through which I viewed the world. Pricked by thorns of experience, I matured, retaining the results of my learning in the dents of my skin. I realized wisdom was not granted; it was learned, it was accepted at a cost, and in a contract of hardship and misfortune. The wrinkles we gain, I discovered, conceal the suffering we endure. I wanted this artwork, including its monochromatic style, to embody this discovery, this realization, and my transformation from naive fascination, to respect underlied by experience and admiration, of old age.
Curator’s word
This charcoal etching represents an abstract study of the human hand. The monochromatic lines vary in width and length to create a woven illusion. It is almost like the lines were knitted together by the artist to form the image. The detailed and dimensional drawing is a testament to the ability of the human hand. The utilitarian capabilities of the extremity are mirrored in the medium used to create the image itself. The artist highlights both the anatomy and beauty of the hand as it rests, palm down, in the dark.
The hand sits serenely in the center of the drawing. Although the hand appears weathered from the widespread wrinkled furrows that govern it, the placement is tranquil and hypnotic. This perspective is supported by the nest of white fusain and decisive shadowing that surround it. The appendage appears to hold a plethora of intact yet untapped wisdom and experience.
