Thursday, April 19, 2007

the orange chair...

art is a burning bush that both shelters
and makes visible our profounder longings.
-j.winterson




...the orange chair has been with me for a decade and some.
It is a dear old friend because of the memories buried deep in its grain, in the layers of paint.
mike labrie had it first...back in 1995


after mike died l received the chair, well the orange chair and his sewing machine.
the chair still stands, the sewing machine still sews

...years later while wandering around the streets of victoria l heard some shouting
crossing the street l find Alister sitting cross legged on the sidewalk
I asked him what he was shouting about...



I did a painting of Alister ("alister starbuck and his book of revelations")
Near the bottom left l put a color print of the orange chair.
I ran into alister a year or so later and he asked me why l put a picture of a chair in the painting.
"...a place for you to sit" l told him

the chair sits in our kitchen now, every now and then l am reminded of its power.

"Places which are comfortable are comfortable because
they have no inner contradictions,
because there is no little restlessness
disturbing them."

(timeless way of building)

3 comments:

gilly said...

OH Ken Ken Ken
there is no one like you is there!!!

Erika said...

How is it that a tale of an old orange chair can be so moving?
Once again, wonderful.

kenflett said...

Erika and Gillian, you guys are very nice, thank you so much.