The Crystal Gazer

soft pastel on sanded paper | 16″ x 18″ | 2020 | $4000

We start life as self-centered beings. As our world expands, we open our eyes and connect to those around us. During the pandemic our world has shrunk, and we are not just physically, but emotionally isolated from each other. In ‘The Crystal Gazer’ the model’s face is covered, wine glass in hand like a crystal ball, self-conscious blindness representing a willful rejection of reality; how some amongst us can remain comfortably blind. We are in a period in which the lucky can continue to work from home and receive a paycheck. The unlucky have lost their jobs, are hungry, and afraid of losing their homes. These people are not just out of sight, but are completely out of mind. People are missing from our lives and their suffering is unreal to some. Does she portend the future with her crystal ball, or will she remove her blinders?