Artist's Statement
I've had an obsession with the sky for as long as I can remember. When I was a child, I recall sleeping outdoors and watching a tiny white speck cross the night sky, of course this was one of the earliest man-made satellites circling the earth, but it was fascinating to see it cross the clear, star filled sky. This lead to an early interest in astronomy where I volunteered at the Richard R. Russell Planetarium. I continued my education on the skies as I became a member of a group of "eclipse chasers". The indescribable splendor associated with witnessing an eclipse is something that touches your soul. You never look at the sky the same way again and in some ways, you look at life differently. Each painting I do has something in it associated with the beautiful events that have been a part of my life. Each painting has elements of celestial color that are captured at an imaginary apex contrasted with an earthly balance making the two appear as a choreographed display.
There is an interesting dichotomy relevant to the two arched shadows racing daily across the face of the planet that foretells light to one.. and darkness to the other. For thousands of years the "rise and fall" of the sun regulated peoples lives the world over, dictating when to hunt and gather and when to seek shelter. We then came to understand that the earth went through seasonal changes that dictated when to plant, when to harvest and store, and in some cases when to migrate. Viewing the sky and it's relationship to our survival is something I think is built into our physiology. As we grew in physical form, mental ability and spiritual experimentation, one constant has been the revolution of the earth. Our sun, lighting one side of earth while darkening the opposite, repeats a cycle prevalent throughout the universe.
Along these edges of light and dark an event unfolds that universally connects millions of people every day. Thousands of miles away someone else is either experiencing the same event, or the exact opposite at that exact time. I've always been intrigued by the significance of the moment the sun sets or rises and the momentary peace that most cultures associate with both in one form or another. I wonder how others are viewing it at this exact time? What are they seeing, thinking, feeling at this exact moment that we have in common? This has influenced me to attempt to capture these moments between light and dark in my own way. Each sunset or sunrise is different to each viewer. I want people to see my work visually with curiosity, but seek a deeper connection of positive energy, mysteriousness, peace, balance and harmony with others who experience it too.
Ran DeBord, 2010