RON BARON

Artist Statement

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Although something positive may grow from certain kinds of loss, one might doubt whether this is possible in the case of mourning the tragic death of a loved one. Yet, paradoxically, a void filled with lament can be fertile ground for creativity since no matter how painful the bereavement process is, the mind in mourning cannot help but dwell on the loss. The artist must work from his experience. It's not that the blooming artwork can miraculously transform a dark negative space into a positive affirmation; instead, the broken spirit heals itself in a way analogous to the technique for repairing a Kintsugi tea bowl. The cracks are not concealed but filled with gold. The repair highlights the fractures and points to the history of the damage. Without the breakage, its new, restored form would never exist, yet to suggest that it is as "good as new" is absurd. A piece of broken Kintsugi pottery takes on a different beauty after repair. Still, when a person's life is shattered by the death of a loved one and its aftermath, the shards can never be assembled in any manner that makes sense. 

-Ron Baron, 2016