Opening Talk for Exhibit at Carrboro Century Center

Last night, March 8, 2013 was the opening for a group show that I was part of along with 2 other wonderful artists.  I am grateful to the Century Center for providing us with such a nice space to exhibit and separate rooms for food and presentations.  I am also grateful that I had the opportunity to show with 2 talented artists, Lisa Parrott and Marsha Zwikker.

While events didn't allow for our artist talks, I came prepared with some talking points that I would like to share here.

I begin with a Poem about one of my paintings from my son, Brandon Fannin:

Poet Brandon Fannin's

interpretation of the painting

Shipped Wrecked on

the Island of Consciousness -

it grows within us
this thing-
untitled

a surrealist dream-
this thing

there's the hand that reached to hold mine
there's the tree I passed too quickly
there's the eyes that looked to me for help
there's the story I interrupted or ignored

all the times
there was something
I should have said
something-
I should have done

a mix of all these things
behind a peaceful scene
I see them all-
engulfed by the sea.

Poetry by Brandon Fannin

The work I have hanging now until March 18 is a part of a series of paintings that explore the darkness inherent in all of us and each situation.  I explore darkness, not as a means of suffocation, but as a balance with peace and beauty.  I believe that DEstruction is inextricably linked with CONstruction.  Both are equally as beautiful.  

As eluded by Brandon's poetry, there is a calmness or peacefulness that follows and is part of the chaos of a storm.  Think about the ocean.  It has the power to destroy countless lives and property, yet within it also contains peace and calm beauty.  This is the story that my paintings play with.  The story that in the midst of the storm, of the darkness, there is light.  They are always in balance.

I call this series my "Dream Sequence."  You have seen dream sequences as part of TV and movie entertainment.  You know the kind: harp music plays as wavy lines move side to side on the screen.  And after this moment the character in the scene will experience some alternate, dream reality.  There is a moment, between reality and the dream scene (when the harp is playing) that we are free to use our own imagination to explain what will happen next.  What incredibly funny, scary or tense situation will the character be pushed into.  At that transition moment, we make up the dream.

In this painting series I invite you to dream up your own story.  Go from viewer of the art to narrator of the story.  What characters and situations do you see?  Where is your darkness and how is it becoming peaceful beauty?

This is not only true for this painting series, but also for life.  We are ALWAYS in between reality and dream.  Always free to dream up our own world and our own existence.  Of course, just like dreaming, we may not always be in total control, but we are always a co-creator in the process.

What story are you dreaming up today?

You can see more photos of the Exhibit on here - www.facebook.com/art.robfannin