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NEW WORK NOW AVAILABLE

DON’T MISS!!!

MY NEW SOLO EXHIBITION ‘THE RIGHT SIDE OF SOLITUDE’ OPENED LAST NIGHT AT THE CURWEN & NEW ACADEMY GALLERY (UPSTAIRS).
IT WILL BE RUNNING UNTIL THE 23^RD OCTOBER

…AND JUST TO REMIND YOU, I SHALL SOON BE EXHIBITING AT THE AFFORDABLE ART FAIR IN BATTERSEA PARK 21 – 24 OCT. CONTACT ME FOR TICKET DEALS

Notes on Solitude...

"A man can be himself only so long as he is alone; ... if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom; for it is only when he is alone that he is really free." [Schopenhauer, "The World as Will and Idea," 1818]

 

SOLITUDE V LONELINESS: by Hara Estroff Marano

"As the world spins faster and faster — or maybe it just seems that way when an email can travel around the world in fractions of a second — we mortals need a variety of ways to cope with the resulting pressures. We need to maintain some semblance of balance and some sense that we are steering the ship of our life. Otherwise we feel overloaded, overreact to minor annoyances and feel like we can never catch up. As far as I’m concerned, one of the best ways is by seeking, and enjoying, solitude.

That said, there is an important distinction to be established right off the bat. There is a world of difference between solitude and loneliness, though the two terms are often used interchangeably. From the outside, solitude and loneliness look a lot alike. Both are characterized by solitariness. But all resemblance ends at the surface.

Loneliness is a negative state, marked by a sense of isolation. One feels that something is missing. It is possible to be with people and still feel lonely—perhaps the most bitter form of loneliness.

Solitude is the state of being alone without being lonely. It is a positive and constructive state of engagement with oneself. Solitude is desirable, a state of being alone where you provide yourself wonderful and sufficient company. Solitude is a time that can be used for reflection, inner searching or growth or enjoyment of some kind. Deep reading requires solitude, so does experiencing the beauty of nature. Thinking and creativity usually do too.

Solitude suggests peacefulness stemming from a state of inner richness. It is a means of enjoying the quiet and whatever it brings that is satisfying and from which we draw sustenance. It is something we cultivate. Solitude is refreshing; an opportunity to renew ourselves. In other words, it replenishes us.

Loneliness is harsh, punishment, a deficiency state, a state of discontent marked by a sense of estrangement, an awareness of excess aloneness.

Solitude is something you choose. Loneliness is imposed on you by others.

We all need periods of solitude, although temperamentally we probably differ in the amount of solitude we need. Some solitude is essential; It gives us time to explore and know ourselves. It is the necessary counterpoint to intimacy, what allows us to have a self worthy of sharing. Solitude gives us a chance to regain perspective. It renews us for the challenges of life. It allows us to get (back) into the position of driving our own lives, rather than having them run by schedules and demands from without.

Solitude restores body and mind. Loneliness depletes them."

- Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today

‘Scattered throughout the hussle and bustle of concrete life, like pools among the rocks, are the parks and squares that provide us with a place to breathe and a time to think. It is a fundamental need of a sane society to be able to stop once in a while and wander from the routine, lift our heads and look at the sky or take in our regular surroundings with new eyes. My work begins with snapshots of busy city life and by a process of elimination I refocus the image on elements that encapusulate a sober thoughtfulness.’ HW2010

THE RIGHT SIDE OF SOLITUDE:29 SEP-23 OCT