Rash Promises: a journey of discovery

The other day, I had the privilege of attending "Rash Promises" by Robert Coulter, and Marilyn Folson, currently on exhibition until the 8th of December 2015, at the Cre8ery Gallery and Studio.

The Artists' Statement captured my attention immediately as it expressed so many things close to my own heart concerning the possibilities of creativity. The very first lines read 'Art lives in a world of imagined possibility–a world that always holds the promise of wonder as colour, shape, story and so many other elements come together in new creations" ( Coulter and Folson, emphasis mine).

True to their statement, Coulter and Folson explore the concept of story, of narrative in a myriad of ways and colours, and textures that convey a free floating universe of ideas, with which one can intuitively connect, explore, and interpret with quite a bit of freedom.

Emergence
Robert Coulter
Digital Painting
photographed and cited here with
permission from the Cre8ery 

For me, this is particularly true of Coulter whose explosive colours, especially, his mesmerizing yellows in Emergence, took me to a place that is before the formation of an idea, a pre-creative stage - a dream. 

As I stood captivated before this painting, memories of my own dream life surfaced. I felt as one dream walking through a waking dream . . .  a dream leading to the light of understanding.

Not all tunnels that lead to the light, need be dark and dismal, Coulter seemed to remind me.

Can You Hear Me Now?
Marilyn Folson
Acrylic 
photographed and cited here
with permission from Cre8ery 

Folson on the other hand didn't deal with the same level of abstraction as Coulter. Her style was distinct in that, forms were defined and were explicitly used to tell a story.

Yet within these boundaries, the room for interpretation was vast, which is what I admire about the artist. Her poignant and relevant social commentary was however, not a close- ended story.

One of the most memorable aspects of Folson's work was the elongated forms she adopted. 

Something about this form caused me to stand tall, deep breath and exhale. The elegance of these figures took me back to my roots - Sri Lankan art, where the figures were imbued with the same organic quality. In this instance, I am talking particularly about the piece below, the name of which I deleted from my camera by accident! 

Marilyn Folsonphotographed and cited here 
with permission from Cre8ery 

While in terms of narrative Can You Hear Me Now? is compelling, this last piece is exquisite because of its organic and earth-toned forms, which transported me to a place close to my heart. 

Overall, Rash Promises I found, to be not so rash. A specific destination: a particular idea or interpretation, was never guaranteed from the start in this imaginative journey. But the artists 

certainly did lead us in to a world of "imagined possibility", even to memories that marooned me on a small island in the Indian Ocean, which in the case of this nostalgic heart, was not a bad thing at all. 

I recommend you take this thought provoking, dream invoking creative journey at the Cre8ery. Their hours of operation are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, 12-6pm and Saturday 12-5pm.

And here's a challenge! CAN YOU FIND OUT THE NAME OF THE "UNNAMED PAINTING" in this article? If you can, and you are the first to name it in the comments below, you're on my VIP list for the next wine and cheese I am going to have! That's a Promise!

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