![Broken, by Sally Gello-Silvers]()
Artist Statement
Artist StatementEach of us carries with us a rich reserve of images, experiences and emotions. For me, those images and experiences include nature, events happening around me, current social issues, happiness, grief, loss and joy to name a few.
As an artist, I express those images and experiences by putting charcoal, unique papers, fibers, string, ink, paints and just about any materials that move me onto paper and layer with textures, shapes and color. My goal is to tap into what is within, bring it forward and create a work of art through the use of different mediums that can be shared with others. Because art is personal I ask my viewers to see what resonates with them as they view the work.
The name of this exhibit is “Time Revisited.” Twelve years ago I traveled with my husband on a volunteer medical trip to a remote region of Nicaragua called the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) to offer support and medical assistance to the people in a small village there. I was moved by the raw beauty of the countryside, the poverty, the sickness, the doctors working in the clinic, the fear I experienced as we were guarded by soldiers with rifles due to fighting that had occurred between the Contras and Sandinistas in the region many years prior, the courage and graciousness of the people and the pleasure people took in the simple joys of life.
While there I also worked with children, shared paper and crayons with them. Some of the kids had never seen crayons or had the opportunity to draw before . I returned home with drawings done by the children and many photos of the country, the people, and life in the villages. The images and experiences of the trip continued to remain with me over the years. Now 12 years later, it is with the works in this collection, that I pay homage to the people, the love and bravery that inspired them to live urging my viewers to live in the moment, be kind and generous to each other.
The materials I used in all the works felt to me, as I chose them, to reflect the people and culture. They are earthy, raw and natural and include original photographs, fibers and paper, charcoal, thread, string, ink, acrylics and watercolors.
A decade later I think back on how showing support and kindness were so important in building bridges to others and how at the time we traveled there the possibilities seemed limitless to make a difference in the word. In many ways now the world seems to have shuttered it’s windows. It is my hope that the shutters open wide again in the future and we continue to build bridges with people and cultures all over the world.
Sally Gello-Silvers is a mixed media artist. She lives and works north of Boston.
sally.gellosilvers.artist@gmail.com