Searching for Archetypes

Entering the Shadowland

The S U N, Dyed Poplar, Concordia University Chapel, Saint Paul MN, R Love 2025.

In the fall, as I was ramping up my artistic production, I intuitively decided to work with some basic themes. The first idea to show up was The Lake, then fairly quickly other foundational ideas showed up: The New Moon, The S U N, The River and The Tree. At the time these ideas and themes seemed to get at the root of the North Shore of Lake Superior. They were the obvious path to explore for my upcoming exhibit at the Tettgouche Visitors Center. What excited me about using some fundamental themes was the potential to create art that was accessible but also unique to me.

It was exciting to work with these seemingly basic themes. There was and is something freeing in returning to the obvious, the foundational, “back to basics” as they say.

I was surprised at what happened. I found an infinite well spring. This surprised me at first. I wasn’t shocked, just startled by the infinite qualities of what a lake is…