Eleos: Acknowledgment of Others is a body of work that brings together the diversity of Chris’ practice to challenge the notion that the absence of empathy is now a virtue. These works ask the viewer to confront what happens to us as we age or as we make mistakes. Who values us if not each other? Who accepts us for who we are even if we are not the same? If we desire this from anyone we must give this to everyone.

Eleos, the Goddess of compassion, sympathy, and empathy wants only your consideration of others by showing you her natural aging, her scars from the hands of humanity. She wants you to wonder why her robes are blood red. Is it passion? Pain?

Sit in Chair for the Contemplation of the Existence of Others and look at Eleos. Let the chair cradle you and comfort you while Eleos looks upon you. Think about the scars of others. The hardships that others share with you, or the hardships you were lucky enough to avoid. See that Eleos has scars and pains, has suffered.

A young man took his own life. The weight of the world bore down on him and he shouldered the burden. He was pained when those around him forgot to give others grace. He would admonish them by saying “Excuse me, Being Human is Hard!” To him everyone deserved to receive the benefit of the doubt. I imagine he said it over and over. I say it over and over to myself.

Sit in Chair for the Acknowledgment of the Existence of Others and think about the person next to you. Do you really know who they are, what they have experienced? See them with a reminder that we are all trying our best. Think about how being human is hard. You won’t be comfortable. We shouldn’t always be comfortable.

Fragment (for Now) asks what this is a fragment of (statue, living thing, imagination), and when will it become whole (soon, next year, end of time). Was this fragment taken from somewhere, someone, something, sometime? Or is for Now an empty promise?

I’ll Never Understand But I Can Try is an attempt when the attempt is what matters.