Howard Hersh - Artist's Statement

Artist's Statement
January 1990

I am an artist, which is the best way I know to express my views of the world. Perception are not of things, but of relationships; with nature; with the Divine; and with other people. Nothing, including me, exists by itself. This is an illusion of images, I am a relationship, everchanging.

There are basically three elements in my work nature, man, and the Divine, along with the interaction of time with them. Completing many multi-panel paintings this past year, I have come to the realization that, they are not just parts of a whole, but a way of expressing my views of the world. A world that is many facetted yet very inter-related.

Each panel may tend to highlight one element while including all three at the same time. In a solitary painting I find that I tend to present all three with equal importance, but as one coherent whole, (which I believe they are). This may not always be evident to the viewer at first due to how the essence of time is reflected. Time is change ... and the part of existence that you can not use up. It has a past, present, and future. This is reflected in the different "inner states."

Just as time is whisking by us, I try and portray that subtlest of moments before things disappear. To capture and portray beauty, that fleeting instant is most intriguing. When the eye and the mind have to search a little harder, the reward is that much greater.

My vision of the world we live in are in these paintings. I hope that while paying homage, they also question inspire and provoke.


	Howard Hersh Artist's Statement January 1990 I am an artist, which is the best way I know to express my views of the world. Perception are not of things, but of relationships; with nature; with the Divine; and with other people. Nothing, including me, exists by itself. This is an illusion of images, I am a relationship, everchanging. There are basically three elements in my work nature, man, and the Divine, along with the interaction of time with them. Completing many multi-panel paintings this past year, I have come to the realization that, they are not just parts of a whole, but a way of expressing my views of the world. A world that is many facetted yet very inter-related. Each panel may tend to highlight one element while including all three at the same time. In a solitary painting I find that I tend to present all three with equal importance, but as one coherent whole, (which I believe they are). This may not always be evident to the viewer at first due to how the essence of time is reflected. Time is change ... and the part of existence that you can not use up. It has a past, present, and future. This is reflected in the different "inner states." Just as time is whisking by us, I try and portray that subtlest of moments before things disappear. To capture and portray beauty, that fleeting instant is most intriguing. When the eye and the mind have to search a little harder, the reward is that much greater. My vision of the world we live in are in these paintings. I hope that while paying homage, they also question inspire and provoke.