PAMELA ALDERMAN
Companions
Watercolor on paper

Open Concepts Gallery
50 Louis NW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503

See Google Map for location

September 23 - October 10, 2009

Artist Statement

Twenty-five years ago in Japan while on a bus waiting at a red light, I spied a girl at a corner fruit stand. I reached for my camera. But I couldn’t find it. 

Traveling like a typical American with an overstuffed bag, I flung aside my water bottle, a Japanese-American dictionary, and a few neatly wrapped souvenirs. Finally, I located it.

In the nick of time—as the girl peered back—I snapped her picture. Seconds later the light turned green, and the bus lurched forward.

In my painting entitled, Companions (shown above), I endeavored to capture the beauty and simplicity of Japanese life. After developing the photo, I realized the girl had a blue-eyed Caucasian doll strapped to her chest.

Companions mirrors my experience as a Caucasian, living among a shiny black-haired people. My Japanese friends not only hosted me for dinner, but they welcomed me into their lives, erasing the boundaries. An unknown writer said, “I love forms beyond my own and rue the borders between us.” Living abroad taught me this.

Parking: Take advantage of 60 minutes of free parking before 6 PM at the Monroe Center Ramp.