How do we know the world? How do we know how we belong?

There are histories that are written and sometimes we tell ourselves that is all there is to know, provided, of course, that the history satisfies. If it is close but doesn’t quite satisfy, we fuss with it. This is a type of game—writing and rewriting history to fit what we want from it; harvesting the past in the same way we might stroll the rows of an orchard and choose the most appealing fruit. Some people learn their bible this way.

And then there are the true things, the underlying narratives that guide our humanity. We know these narratives are there. We rely upon them as they form the basis of how we love, of how we strive, of what we protect, of where we believe. For most of us, we know these narratives as we feel them act on our lives, but we can’t quite describe them to anyone else, or even to ourselves—the words are tantalizingly out of reach. This is why art is so important. The artist shows us what it is impossible to tell.

Curlee Raven Holton’s work, in this body, tells stories in a way that is similar to the structure of dreams, in which images pulse and fade, overlapping and tempting, leading, then twisting and eluding resolution. But these are not dreams. His works offer narrative that guide and instruct in wakefulness. They are the journey of an artist at a reflective time of life, looking backward at life’s lessons, looking forward to life’s mysteries.

One way to start looking at works of art is to describe, starting with the concrete. These are images on paper. They show evidence that they were created by the artist working with a matrix—a surface which responded to ink in a way that the image could be reproduced multiple times. The image we see suggests an intimate knowledge of technical process and a confidence in achieving the artist’s intention. The series of works is filled with faces and bodies. Most probably of people, but with the possibilities of wraiths and demons, masks and memory. Nobody is alone. Rhythmically, figures and forms repeat. Figures flail and fall, yet still attach to a wheel; they chase fires in the dark night; they dance beneath a sunset; they engage in ritual; they dance for joy; they fight against a current; and they are carried away. This is just describing what anyone could see.

Is it the Raven that carries us away? In indigenous American tales and traditions, the Raven is persistent in cultures from California to the Arctic. The Raven is a creator of the world, often encountering difficulties, relying on tricks and deceptions to make things right. Sometimes heroic, occasionally self-serving, and always ingenious.

Curlee Raven Holton studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art (BFA) Kent State University (MFA), and the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop (New York City) before joining the faculty at Lafayette College in 1991. In 2006 he founded Raven Fine Art Editions in Easton, Pennsylvania, which has printed works by Willie Cole, Alison Saar, Nelson Stevens, Faith Ringgold, Sam Gilliam, and Richard Mayhew.

WILLIAM BUSTA PROJECTS
15517 Waterloo Road, Suites 2 and 4
Cleveland, Ohio 44110
Wbusta@sbcglobal.net
216.401.2752
Open noon-5pm Thursday, Friday & Saturday during scheduled exhibitions

EVENTS:

Curlee Raven Holton: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit, October 4–November 7.

Opening 6-9pm Friday, October 4.