To peep or not to peep.

Last night was the opening of the January ArtWorks mixed media show.

There my "Paradise Through the Peep Hole" door stood proudly. My art voice speaking a tad louder than usual, sporting blinking star lights, a tape running CNN news constantly on a TV/VCR and a running electric clock showing randomness of time.

In a nutshell, the "point" of my door is a statement about how I feel the 24 hour news stations have too much influence on how people form their opinions these days. For many, their opinions now merely mimic what they've heard on "the news". They only caw like large black crows, in leafless trees, do. "Never More" they cry in that haunting tone of emptiness.

The other side of the nutshell, there is the peep hole. A way out. The ladder. An escape, if you may, from the barrage of cawing negativism and undertone of glee in their voices as they "report" their latest interpretations of doom.

When one looks thru the peep hole, they will see "Mary" glowing brightly, a golden angel baby spinning with joy, a ballerina spinning with life and a white lamb of hope.

Thru the peep hole one can regain their lost sense of personal integrity. With a scent of fresh air, once again, see an unfiltered sunrise coming over the horizon. Form an original thought. Taste hope and know a solution can always prevail, if one allows oneself the freedom to believe that's so.

As the artist, I thought a door with a peep hole and the title "Paradise Thru the Peep Hole", would be enticement enough to invite the viewer to look thru the peep hole. But interestingly enough, last night as I stood aback from my piece, being the fly on the wall, I watched people look at my door, but did not peep!

Being a solution orientated artist/man, I could know longer let people miss the opportunity to transform through the door of doom to the other side.

What to do?

In a gallery office, I found a bottle of White Out and wrote on the black arrow pointing to the peep hole (how subtle is a black arrow, I ask?) and wrote the word "peep", adding a white arrow. Lo and behold the heaven's parted! Standing back again, I watched the people now tenuously take a risk and make the "peep". My voice became clearer.

Whatever it takes, huh?

In my life, all I ask for is the chance. Opportunity. To live, experience the other side of the door. Ironic that sometimes it only takes the willingness, energy to peep.