It’s been a couple months since I’ve posted anything. After nearly two months of chemotherapy, I underwent my second stem cell transplant in November. It was a long hard road, but I’m finally beginning to feel normal.
A week before I had my stem cell transplant, my wife and I went to the North Carolina Art Museum, in Raleigh, to see a couple exhibitions. One was an exhibition of the art of Scott Avett, probably best known as the co-founder of the Avett Brothers. While he’s a member of a very successful and popular band, Scott is, first and foremost, an artist, having earned a bachelor of fine arts in painting from East Carolina in 2000/.
The exhibit was really well done. There were a couple “immersive” pieces where you could sit among the art and listen to music by the Avett Brothers. There were a lot of large prints, but my favorites were Scott’s paintings, many of which feature Scott or his family.
One of my favorites is Black Mouse, White Mouse. Based on a Leo Tolstoy essay, the painting is more of a metaphor where Scott questions some of the life decisions he’s made. In the Tolstoy essay, a man is hanging from a branch as two mice gnaw on it. Here, Scott holds the branch over his head. On the branch, two mice are seen. The white mouse represents spirituality and the black mouse represents materialism. It’s interesting because despite the great success that Scott has had with his band and his art, he still holds onto his faith. That balance between faith and materialism can sometimes be a difficult struggle and Scott depicts the struggle with beauty and humor.
Mostly True 