Attachment. It's the living condition that determines so much of our experience. Did we feel safe with our caregivers? Do we feel safe with ourselves? Who can we securely become vulnerable with? Indeed, an entire field of psychology called Attachment Theory seeks to understand how our brain and mind operate with such dynamics. This painting represents an artistic expression of these questions. We are always already both alone and together. We are always alone because we are the only person in history to ever have our experience. No one can have our experience for us. We are isolated, singular, unique. We are always together because other people know us, know we exist, and respond to our presence and our absence. We are bound to others through language (verbal and body), symbolism, and systems of agreement. Even the rebel needs others to rebel against. We are always already together mentally if not physically. This painting represents this juxtaposition of isolated “islands” of being that “run into each other” as the colors run into one another. The shapes are separate yet flow into and through one another, much like interactions and relationships come and go in a flow-state. My hope is that each time you take notes, write down ideas, or list future dreams, the Aloneness/Togetherness wire-bound notebook becomes your favorite way to make your inner world an outer reality.
