Speed of Life

vermeer in bosnia Originally uploaded by gregg chadwick . while at the metropolitan museum in new york recently i sought out the vermeers and found myself viewing them through the scrim of lawrence weschler's recent collection of essays, "vermeer in bosnia." i hope all of us can take some time before tuesday's election to stop and find stillness and clarity. as weschler so aptly recounts, vermeer had to invent the still and timeless world in his paintings. the europe that vermeer spent his youth in was as scarred as bosnia during the balkan wars or as iraq is today. keeping this in mind we must create our own stillpoint from which to approach the speed of contemporary existence. i suggest a quiet visit and a moment of humility before a timeless work of art. vermeer creates that space for me. take care - gregg

freedom of expression slide and video presentation as part of their 30th anniversary celebration on october 30,california lawyers for the arts presents a curated digital slide and video presentation of visual art addressing the concept of freedom of expression. this includes the broadest possible range of viewpoints on the topic. the slide presentation will be shown during the creative freedom party reception at the cowell theater, fort mason, san francisco 6:30-9pm arlington as well as a few other pieces of mine will be included. the paintings should spark some dialogue.

photo by kenro izu Kenro Izu's pallidium prints are taken with a massive camera that seems to wrestle the sacred onto film. a selection of Kenro's work and his gargantuan camera were recently on view at the Rubin Museum in New York. In an interview conducted on July 31, 2001, with Peabody Essex Museum director of photographic services, Marc Teatum, Kenro Izu described his artistic process," I try to use my basic instincts, like an animal sensing danger. I want to be as pure, as empty as possible and just try to document the spirituality of the place. If I can’t, then I don’t want to make another picture postcard that someone else has already taken under perfect conditions." Kenro Izu is actively creating important contemporary sacred art that defies boundaries and borders. His image (seen above) of a Buddha in a tree at Wat Mahathat in Ayutthaya, Thailand is both mysterious and inviting. There is a profound silence in this image and an uncanny presence of breath.

holland cotter in his october 20th piece in the new york times on the rubin museum makes a good point when he calls tibetan art an art of fusion," we're learning how [cultures] intersect, interact, serendipitously echo one another." it is this intersection, interaction and echoing that fuels much of my work and the work of writers, musicians, painters, photographers and sculptors who are interested in inclusion rather than exclusion.

the brand new rubin museum of art in manhattan is a glorious addition to the museums of new york. set in chelsea - the museum provides a needed place of beauty and contemplation. described as the first museum in the world dedicated solely to the art of the himalayas- the rubin museum fills a gap in our understanding of the art and faith of this region.

MSue in Bar Harbor  Spent a wonderful birthday in Bar Harbor, Maine with MS wandering the windy coast and town with numerous sightings of John Malkovich who is currently filming a new bio of the Viennese artist Gustav Klimt.

Opening at Santa Monica Art Studios, Santa Monica Airport - photo by Cassiel Chadwick , originally uploaded by greggchadwick .