2020 has been a hard year. So much suffering and loss of life that’s hard to comprehend. The shattered lives of so many. The loss of jobs, home and food insecurity of so many compounded by leadership at the top, Trump and his administration, that doesn’t care as long as the stock market is strong. I could go on and on.
This year I embarked on my yearly tradition of creating a Happy Holidays card with trepidation. But the human spirit is to be celebrated even in times of extreme adversity. Seeing so many heroes among us, front line workers, doctors nurses and essential workers doing the work that keeps society going proves this. So I made this card with abstracted people representing the human spirit thriving during the pandemic.
Wishing all, of all faiths and agnostics, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa. I hope you find some Joy this holiday season. A brighter future is ahead.
A note about the card artwork. The holiday card combines influences of the three monotheistic faiths; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. For Christianity, the symbol of the Christmas Tree with the Star of Bethlehem on top. For Judaism, the Star of David (you have to look for it). For Islam, the interlaced pattern forming hexagons and hexagrams representing Islamic art.
Lumen De Stellarum, 2020 multi-layered uv inkjet on composite aluminum panel assemblage of cut-out top panel and shaped cut-outs float 3/4″ above base white panel 48″h X 60″w, edition of 3
From the Summa Health Website: “The new patient tower on the Summa Health System — Akron Campus embraces Summa’s commitment to promoting a healthcare environment that surrounds and connects patients, visitors and staff with the healing powers of the arts.”
Incorporated into the building is the Healing Arts Gallery and ongoing exhibitions will feature work by the artists in the Healing Arts Collection where artworks by 53 artists with ties to Northeast Ohio are placed throughout the building, myself being among them.
“Navigating the Pandemic” showcases the distinctive perspectives of local artists during an unprecedented time of social distancing and isolation. These selections by five artists in our Healing Arts Collection explore the impact of COVID-19 on an artist’s practice, reflecting the influence of the pandemic on the human psyche. Through the diverse use of mediums, scale and subject matter, each artist takes viewers on a journey of self-discovery through an unforgettable time in our history.
Because of Covid-19, with the gallery being located within the hospital, the gallery is not currently open to the general public. The feedback from those in the hospital has been very positive, providing a place of respite and lifting spirits to patients, doctors, nurses and staff during these difficult times.
All works of art are for sale. To purchase a piece of art, email foundation@summahealth.org or call 330.375.3159. Special Thanks to Meg Harris Stanton for curating and organizing the exhibition and Kim Kwiat and team at Vista Color Imaging for printing and fabricating of the artworks.
click on images to enlarge (except on mobile devices)
Below are my five artworks in the exhibition click on images to enlarge (except on mobile devices)
Quadrataluxe II uv cured inkjet on cut-out composite aluminum edition of 3, dimensions variable (44″ x 44″ overall)Forty Kites uv cured inkjet on composite aluminum edition of 3, 44″ x 44″Field I uv cured inkjet on cut-out composite aluminum edition of 3, 44″ x 44″Circuli Moderne II uv cured inkjet on cut-out composite aluminum edition of 3, dimensions variable (38″h x 44″w overall)Hexalarious II uv cured inkjet on composite aluminum edition of 3, dimensions variable (48″ x 48″ overall)
Andrew Reach Exhibition Statement
These works are Euclidean geometric abstractions where vibrant color infuses energetically optical geometric constructions. My creative process is challenged as I consider the material and the ability to shape by cutting uv cured inkjet prints on composite aluminum.
What I hope to express to the audience viewing them is a sensory experience of optical joyfulness and their constructs become a visual language for me to express energy, movement and freedom.
The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic has unexpectedly heightened my creativity. Disabled from a spine disease, pain is my constant companion and treatments I received on a regular basis were temporarily cancelled. The challenges I face every day with coping got harder as episodes of even greater debilitating pain and immobility ensued. Anxiety and fear of the pandemic added to these challenges. Creating art is therapeutic, now during the pandemic than ever. When technology, intellect and imagination come together in just the right way, I feel an indescribable sense of well-being and for moments, I am taken away from all the worries and stresses of the unprecedented times we live in and am lifted from physical restraint to unlimited spiritual potentiality.
The new patient tower on the Summa Health System — Akron Campus designed by Hasenstab Architects features 90 unique pieces of art by 53 artists, all with Northeast Ohio ties. I’m honored that my work “Ninety One Kites” is part of this collection. From the Summa website: “Summa Health promotes a healthcare environment that surrounds and connects patients, visitors and staff with the healing powers of the arts.”
