The Memory of Pain

Dan Steeves' The Memory of Pain (catalogue cover)

The Memory of Pain catalogue cover

Rarely was the full meaning of the prints he produced entirely evident in their imagery. Their subjects might be recognizable, clearly drawn, poetically composed and even lovingly portrayed. Yet, beyond the readability of the imagery, underneath the narrative he expressed, beyond symbolism and metaphor, Steeves continuously sought to depict what could not be shown, only sensed. In the truest interpretation of abstraction, Steeves pointed to absence as an intellectual concept.

Tom Smart from his essay The Memory of Pain.
their season in the wildernesstheir season in the wilderness
a journey of healing (print)a journey of healing
a primal affirmation of life (print)a primal affirmation of life
crossing a thresholdcrossing a threshold
good and evil (print)good and evil
I’m not sure where exactly we’re headed (print)I’m not sure where exactly we’re headed
I’ve also felt the aftershocks (print)I’ve also felt the aftershocks
it’s a ritual that’s workedit’s a ritual that’s worked
it’s pressing reality (print)it’s pressing reality
living with the weight of it (print)living with the weight of it
most blind to what’s closest to usmost blind to what’s closest to us
realms of consciousnessrealms of consciousness
recapture something that’s missingrecapture something that’s missing
resolveresolve
the memory of painthe memory of pain
the upward pushthe upward push
uncharted grounduncharted ground
vivid reminders of my mortalityvivid reminders of my mortality
these planes of existencethese planes of existence
an ever broadening horizonan ever broadening horizon
its tensions and contradictionsits tensions and contradictions
mostly because of my own fearsmostly because of my own fears
I hope you have moments when you take heartI hope you have moments when you take heart