Description
‘The Truth of the Universe is Waiting’ by Jeannie Lynn Paske
Artist: Jeannie Lynn Paske
Title: ‘The Truth of the Universe is Waiting’
Medium: Watercolour, charcoal, pastel, powdered pigment, coloored pencil, graphite, varnish and ink on 300 lb Arches watercolour paper
Dimensions: 10.25″ x 11″
Framing: Unframed
Year of Creation: 2021
Artwork Will Ship From: USA
About the Artwork:
“I had just started working on this piece when I got the news that my father had contracted Covid and was in the hospital. It was very difficult to stay focused on much of anything as I live on the other side of the country and was not able to visit him when he was sick. I was grateful to have all of these strange little creatures to absorb my thoughts and channel them into this odd sort of universe tree day after day. As I worked on this, I thought of a scene in the film “Lucky” where Harry Dean Stanton’s character proclaims, “The truth of the universe is waiting,” in a rather amazing bit of acting/writing. My father was far from Mr. Stanton’s character, Lucky, however like the character, he had come to terms with his mortality and told me so in the week before his death. Forced to confront the end of his existence, I asked him if he was afraid and he replied, “no”. I’d like to think that when he passed, certain mysteries and truths were revealed to him. Dying alone is one of the most disquieting realities for any human being to endure and in the time of Covid, it has become an unfortunate reality facing so many. When I look at this piece, I see awe, sadness, hope, fear, comfort and acceptance in the faces of these little spectators as they peer into the vast unknown. I think about Lucky’s epiphany in that scene near the end of the film:
“Truth is a thing. It’s the truth of who we are and what we do, and you have to face that and accept it because the truth of the universe is waiting. You, you, you, you, me, this cigarette, everything. Into blackness! The void and nobody’s in charge and you’re left with ungatz! Nothing. That’s all there is.” The rest of the people in this scene question Lucky with what they are supposed to do with nothing. Lucky pauses and utters the words, “You smile.” – Jeannie Lynn Paske
About the Artist:
(Artist Bio)
Jeannie Lynn Paske is a self-taught artist from Portland, Oregon who creates introspective work under the name Obsolete World. Using a mix of watercolor, charcoal, pastel, graphite, varnish and ink, she designs richly textured illustrations of peculiar creatures in thought-provoking settings. The mysteries of life, loss and loneliness are recurring themes, and her compositions often focus on the strange and unexplained. Many of her pieces reference philosophy with a nod to both the melancholy and humorous. Her soft sparse environments suggest a warm, dreamlike state, and the emotional imagery paired with her poetic titles help to convey a sense of gentle curiosity in her work.