RHANNA NYMAN

     Have you ever been moved by a piece of art?

     Most of us have.  We come upon a painting, watch a ballet, or listen to a piece of music and we are transported.  In that space we are open, our awareness of our connection to forces larger than we normally recognize is front and center.  When we are in this place we speak freely.  That freedom is raw, empowered and very, very beautiful.

     I am privileged to have people respond this way to my work.  The stories that I have heard, the thoughts people have shared with me, the emotion that has flowed, leaves me humble in its wake.  There are now countless stories and experiences that people have shared which stream through my mind when I am at work in the studio.  Sometimes when I am working I find myself pausing, drifting into the emerging image in front of me wondering  “These fabric squares, this passage of color… what will someone see… what will they tell me about this piece that I am making that I can only guess at now?”   This circling transference seems to me a reminder that all our journeys are forever interwoven.

     Have you ever been moved by a piece of art?

     Most of us have.  We come upon a painting, watch a ballet, or listen to a piece of music and we are transported.  In that space we are open, our awareness of our connection to forces larger than we normally recognize is front and center.  When we are in this place we speak freely.  That freedom is raw, empowered and very, very beautiful.

     I am privileged to have people respond this way to my work.  The stories that I have heard, the thoughts people have shared with me, the emotion that has flowed, leaves me humble in its wake.  There are now countless stories and experiences that people have shared which stream through my mind when I am at work in the studio.  Sometimes when I am working I find myself pausing, drifting into the emerging image in front of me wondering  “These fabric squares, this passage of color… what will someone see… what will they tell me about this piece that I am making that I can only guess at now?”   This circling transference seems to me a reminder that all our journeys are forever interwoven.

  As I have travelled and exhibited my work across the country over the last seventeen years, I have been amazed by the sheer numbers of people who are drawn to art exhibitions, art festivals and other such venues. Equally amazing is the endless outpouring of reaction and response to the artwork on display at these events. Having had the opportunity to watch large numbers of people react to my work, and having been able to interact with people as they respond to it, has been an enlightening and much treasured experience.

      One of the things I have witnessed as I have engaged with the viewing audience in this way is a palpable longing among us. There is a desire, a hunger… for clarity… a hunger for thoughtful contemplation… and a hunger for the eloquent encryption of the journeys and the passages we all experience. We need an excuse to stop and appreciate the very being of our existence. Art gives us just such an excuse.