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April 11, 2003
Artwork explores grief
Usher Hammer works through his pain by painting.
SIMA ELIZABETH SHEFRIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
When I wandered into Transcending, Usher Hammer's exhibit of acrylic
painting and pottery at the Sidney and Gertrude Zack Gallery, I
felt as though I had stepped into someone's private space. The work
is personal and the artist has made himself open and vulnerable.
But the venue is public, and Hammer is inviting us to share his
journey of grieving and healing, his tapestry of emotion and creativity.
Hammer created the 23 paintings and 30 vases as part of his process
of mourning the death of his wife, Deanna, whom he lost just a few
months after his June 2000 retirement from teaching.
"These pieces expressed my love and grief, by incorporating
experiences like walking, hiking, swimming and reading, which helped
ease the pain, disappointment and anger of losing my soulmate,"
he said.
The paintings are abstract, yet they clearly mark his path from
sorrow toward equilibrium, from grief to a spirituality, which is
both heavenly and rooted in the earth.
I found the exhibit as a whole, stronger than the individual works.
The paintings are numbered and offer us a path to tread with the
artist which may recall to us our own journeys of grief and healing.
The work is very geometric, reminiscent of the work of traditional
quilt makers, as well as that of American painters like Kenneth
Noland or Barnett Newman. Color is central in this show; it is the
defined shapes and colors that convey the messages of the artist.
Occasional paintings, like "Shield of David with Gold Menorah"
and "Shield of David with White Menorah," make direct
references to Judaism. In one case, the reference was at a more
subconscious level. After watching fireworks one night, Hammer created
the painting "Pinwheel," which a non-Jewish friend told
him looked like a letter. Later the artist realized that he had
painted an aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
The paintings are often hung in pairs or sets, which move us from
one stage of healing to another. "Feeling Empty" depicts
a closed box in slightly uncomfortable floating colors. But it is
followed immediately by "Out of the Box," which suggest
an opening up and moving forward. "When I first finished 'Feeling
Empty,' I thought it was an empty box" Hammer explained. "But
before long, I realized the box had pathways, as does life."
In "Love and Grief," warm and cool pinks evoke the entanglement
of love and sorrow. In "Waves of Emotion," waves literally
roll across the canvas, hitting up against the sharper triangular
structure of "Purifying and Relieving Emotions," which
in turn, settles into the calmer horizontal greens and blues of
"At Peace."
"Painting kept me positive," Hammer said. "There's
a kind of joy in having the strength and courage to express yourself."
On the final wall of the exhibit we hit a field of color and glory.
Large areas of gold illuminate "The Soul is Eternal" and
"Binding Earthly" and "Heavenly Realms." The
final two pieces, "Gardening Delights" and "Gardening,"
are warm and rich with color. I am reminded of the Mennonites and
Amish who dressed in plain dark clothing and lived simple lives
but whose gardens and quilts were a celebration of color.
Transcending also includes four cases of Hammer's pottery, also
lovely, but somewhat crowded in their glass cases. I like their
inclusion though because the very affordable prices of the bowls
and vases enables everyone who wishes to take home a little part
of this exhibit.
Hammer was born in Vancouver in 1936. He is familiar as an art teacher
to 43 years of former students at Edith Cavell elementary school,
Charles Tupper secondary school and Eric Hamber secondary school.
He has been exhibiting in Vancouver since 1968.
The exhibit runs until April 25.
Sima Elizabeth Shefrin is an artist, banner maker and
community arts co-ordinator living in Vancouver.
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