“Well
I never have wandered down to New Orleans
Never
have drifted down a bayou stream
But
I heard that music on the radio
And
I swore some day I was gonna go…”
-
Mary Chapin
Carpenter
Chere Labbe Doiron’s collection, Tatted Earth and Dreams, currently on
display at the Caritas Village, certainly made me want to hop in the car and
head south to Louisiana. When
speaking about the collection, Chere explains, “All of the work is rooted in
Louisiana. That just seems to be where my heart lies and where my aesthetic
passion emanates from...These places are very dear to me, so I approach it from
a spiritual standpoint, not just a sheer visual standpoint.” As pure and honest
as a folk song, and as rich and layered as the bayou, the pieces in this
exhibit pay homage to Chere’s artistic influences and the beloved Louisiana
land that she calls home. They also speak the story of her life through
texture, found objects, and exuberant color.
The
art pulled me into its strikingly beautiful world from across the large room at
the Village. In fact, it stopped me in my tracks on a very busy day. I am very
lucky that Chere herself happened to be sitting near me at the very moment this
happened. Before I knew it, we had lunch plans and an interview scheduled to
further discuss her work. I can honestly say, that my conversation with Chere
turned out to be one of the most inspiring lunch hours that I have experienced
in quite sometime.
She
speaks of her art with an ease and modesty, but also with great reverence and
great conviction. When describing her process, she makes it clear that she
creates with urgency and out of utter necessity. After a thirty-year hiatus
from painting, she returned to her craft three years ago with the fear of a
child, but also with fierce determination. When speaking of her artistic
journey, she uses the words “intensity” and “risk.” She says, “I’m painting
with a lot of physical and spiritual intensity. These are aggressive paintings
and I like that.” The intensity comes from “the urgency to get it out – the
fear of doing it and the fear of not doing it.” Chere is now embracing the
journey, the struggle, and the uncertainty that I think almost all artists can
relate to. She recognizes this need to create as a gift and is putting her
creations out into the world with open eyes and a heart that constantly desires
growth.
The
pieces in the exhibit range from canvases that depict the marsh in Louisiana
with layers and layers of color, to weathered wood with multiple moons, to
three-dimensional upholstery for an armchair. One of my personal favorites, Tattered Dreams, is a mixed media piece
portraying a bride that has been “left out in the rain.” Inspired by a collage
artist form Chere’s hometown, she is made of wood, paint, beautiful lace, and
found pieces of metal. The bride has been sold and I asked Chere, if it would
be hard to let her go. She quickly said “no.” She is happy to let the work go
when she knows that it is going to a good home. “The bride is going to hang in
a women’s shelter - transitional housing for woman who are leaving prison with
their children and assimilating back into the world…That my work can be used at
that level is overwhelming to me.” Chere is planning to create a hopeful companion
piece for Tattered Dreams that
explores dreams fulfilled.
Chere
believes that “The best part about the pieces is being able to share what they
are about on a deeper level and then have people who are interested in that and
to be able to have conversations about it – to me that is the ultimate, best
thing ever. The connection with people through the art I do just blows me
away.”
You have one more week to see this extraordinary exhibit. It
will be at the Caritas Village through March 31. If you are as lucky as I was,
you will get to speak with Chere about her work. I assure you, you will leave
inspired.
by Leslie Barker
by Leslie Barker
