Cosmo Primo

From the Artist: As the pandemic gained force in the spring of 2020, our plans to travel to Europe were put on hold and then cancelled. This was a disappointment of course, since I look forward to visiting the many excellent museums and reflecting on the work of so many great artists. This inspired me to envision myself traveling throughout the region in earlier times, when city states were on the rise and trade relationships between Europe, Africa and Asia were on the rise, bringing together people with diverse ethnic backgrounds, languages, cultures and skin tones.

The more I reflected on the dynamism of this period in history for the Mediterranean region, the more I sensed a connection with this early cosmopolitan environment. How exciting it would have been to be a witness to the intermingling of such strangers and the creativity that was to emerge from the exchange of goods and ideas.

The composition of the artwork is similar to sojourn around the major Mediterranean trading centers during the late middle ages and early Renaissance. A time of discovery as well as rediscovery of earlier times of great achievement in culture and the arts.

The choice of decorative and handmade papers as well as wood ornamentation and magazine images reflected my desire to imbue the work with earth tones and a tactile quality that is in harmony with a time when interest in eclectic and respect for talented artisans was rising. What a journey I have had while never leaving