Answering the Call

Hawaii Calls... always, - to me.

So, this past June when two friends and mentors in Hawaii had cause for celebration - I was on a plane as quickly as you can say Kama'aina. 

That was when and where I saw one of the best art shows in 2010.

The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu honored printmaker Allyn Bromley with a retrospective titled 

Finding Latitude: the Work of Allyn Bromley.  Allyn served as chair of the Printmaking Department when I was a graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

copyright2010AllynBromley

Always prolific and highly innovative,  the show included Allyn's ambitious, oversized screen prints that tackle issues such as aging, and the over development of her beloved paradise.

Green Piece
photo by Brad Goda
copyright2010AllynBromley

What Color is Invisible
Installation from Finding Latitude
copyright2010AllynBromley

The work from the last ten or so years, since her retirement from teaching is what resonates with me today.   We see the keen draughtsman that Allyn is, as well as her desire to address death, and homelessness in a contemporary conversation. Allyn moves off of the flat surface into sculpture and installation; recycling her old prints as she weaves them into mummy forms that are hauntingly beautiful.

The opening reception was a celebration of the work and of Allyn herself, who at the age of 82 is vibrant, active and engaged in her work and the community at large.

Truly an inspiration.

Allyn at her Opening

Artist Deb Nehmad, Allyn Bromly(with lei), me, Barbara Laustsen
on the grounds of The Contemporary Museum
June 2010

As you look back at on 2010, who or what has called to you and made a lasting impact on your life?