Crack in the Foundation

Crack in the Foundation 2017 chalk pastel on paper, 22x22" 

Foundation: (n) the load-bearing part of a building; an underlying basis or principle for something; typically, another term for first-year courses in art school

This is part of a new series of larger pastel drawings I am currently developing. I've been thinking about the balance between strength and fragility, about the things we carry below the surface that no one else sees, and about the inherent beauty in imperfection.

There is a Japanese tradition, called kintsugi, of repairing broken pottery with gold and other precious metals. I think that is an incredibly brave and beautiful idea - to highlight, rather than obscure, the broken parts. Those ceramic pieces become all the more precious - both literally and figuratively - for having been repaired.  In fact, one might argue that their greatest beauty lies in the healing rivulets that interrupt the surface.