Soft Sounds was created as a response to a period in my life that proved to be very impactful; my moms diagnosis of kidney cancer. In its most essential form, the work stands as a reflection of this period, speaking to the unique power of the silent individual, and the strength that comes from invisible moments. Although perhaps not entirely evident in photograph form, the work gives off a unique sense of photorealistic perspective when viewed in person.
The votive area that is central in the painting is particularly vital to the understanding of the history of the work itself. The cathedral which houses the votives depicted in the painting are from the same church that my grandmother worked in and attended every day during the formative years of my time spent with her. The resulting familiarity that I had with the church beforehand, and the importance that my grandmother attached to the place itself, provided a very necessary tether to the provenance of the work.
Typical for my practice, there are several hidden symbols within the painting that provide further insight into the themes which the work addresses. Discretely inlaid amongst the panes of stained glass and breaking from the noticeable pattern within it are three symbols that directly reference distinct experiences during this period in my life; a hot air balloon, a ball, and three rays of sunlight.
The rising votive in the work relays a purposefully ambiguous message as well, speaking further to the theme of the unknown, the unseen. The mystery attached to its rising calls to the tenuous nature of life, leaving to the viewers interpretation what question its movement answers. Does it represent the physical passing of a life moving on, or rather a prayer that has been answered? Though the question proposed within the work remains unanswered and perhaps even undefined, the situation which motivated it, thankfully, has not. My mother made a full recovery, but the quiet moments within the noise of that period has stayed, reflections that continue to impress upon me in ways I’m sure I still don't fully understand.
There are works in the timeline of an artists practice that represent all they could hope to say, that relay messages they weren’t even sure needed saying at the time, and that gives one the confidence and assuredness to move forward. This has become one such work.
The motivating ideas behind Soft Sounds remains a sort of touchstone for how I hope to conduct myself, both in daily life and as a creative individual. It exists as a reminder that the good comes quietly, that sometimes the softest sounds or moments can have the greatest impact, and that in the still spaces, unseen by eyes, there remains true mystery.
Jared Boechler, the artist
Original Work
$3000.00 CAD (Price is negotiable)
Soft Sounds
oil on canvas
24X36
Can be purchased through contact of website:
www.jaredboechler.com
Or directly through artist:
jm_boechler@hotmail.ca
306-715-5227
Will accept direct commissions. Please contact to discuss.
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