A PORTRAIT OF DUST

S A U D A D E

I recently completed a book of images captured during the unique period of time from early 2019–2021.
While the world slowed, paused and even retreated. In the absence of most visitors, and the shouting from “Henny Penny”, my studio took on a new life.
I choose to only work— to make dust.

— A Portrait Of Dust —

InStudio.
—In this time I have found myself amongst a new collection—
A collection of Dust.
The dust that has settled; and had to. From the smoke and ash of all the small passion fires that I have burned here.
From candle light, incense and oils.
From the forging fires, plasters, primers, and perfumes.
The spray paints, spiders and their capturing nets.
The world's all-at-once clash with itself as it stands still.
I have embraced this dust.
Written in it on table tops. Footprints in the antique rugs. Let it settle on the oil paint left on the pallets.
I taste it in my food and drink. I have not cleared or cleaned the wax or wine or water marks.
Berry inked stained lips on port glasses from the now almost never occurring favored visitor.
Not made the bed to just unmake it. I have allowed only entropy full access. I have mostly denied its antithesis.
I have found that dust is not the same as dirt.
And dirt, has been mislabeled. Dirt can be managed.
Made ready for planting. Add a seed, we call it soil.
Some how soiled and dirty became words associated with filth, sickness, and dis-ease. Something else to fear.
Dust however seems more man made.
Its flit on air and how it hovers; waiting.
Dust settling seems to be a bi-product of our lack of motion. We stop moving; stop marching; stop making. It settles.
We seem to spend so much time in motion trying to clear away the dust, when in fact it is our motion that makes it.
Our passions. Our pleasures.
Dust, may very well be each our master works. Our magnum opus. Our Mastered Peace.
We each leave behind a beautiful mess, and that mess is the auto-biography of our chosen motion.
It is our portrait of dust.

— Jason Koharik 2019 —

#thingsimadewhiletheskywasfalling