Photo by photographer Jean François of artist Kristin Llamas with the painting “What is Temperance?” at The Studio 208 gallery in Nashville… 5 months prior to a tornado ripping through the city.
A Beautiful Mess…
Last week was full of both heartache and hope. Those affected by the Nashville tornado have a very long road to recovery and healing, but seeing the love and humanity in the wake of disaster has been such a beautiful experience. It is proof that when we are stripped from our modern conveniences, calendars and comforts… left in the darkness of tragedy… our love for community rises as neighbor cares for neighbor.
While I shared a bit of this story on my instagram, I felt compelled to send it out to you all as well. You are my people, and together I hope we continue to love & inspire one another… so here it is.
Hope & Art…
The painting titled “What is Temperance?” was recently purchased and installed in the home of a Nashville collector. That home was destroyed by the tornado that came through the city last week.
The photo above was taken five months prior to the tornado (right before the painting was purchased). I came across it while looking for a picture to share with the work. This photo gave me chills to see my face, looking out the window, to the sky, with uncertainty.
The collector’s home is only a mile from the gallery.
When the gallery owner told me that the collector’s home had been destroyed, I reached out to check on him. Thankfully, he was in NY when the tornado came through, but what he said brought tears to my eyes. He said:
“As soon as I knew everyone was okay, the only question I asked before arriving home was how is Temperance?!? It’s the only thing I knew as irreplaceable.”
Now, I may have been extra emotional, because I had been woken up in the middle of the night by my baby sister who was hiding in her basement. Her neighborhood had been destroyed and many of her neighbor’s homes had crumbled down to the foundation. Thankfully she was also okay. But when I heard the homeowner’s words, I had also just found out something amazing. His entire ceiling came down and the painting fell but survived unscathed.
This piece is notably one of my most significant works from a solo show at the Parthenon Museum. It touches on the idea of America admitting to having a problem, yet committing to healing and recovery.
After finding out that this work survived such devastation, I am positive that it continues to represent a symbol of hope.
As artists, we become inspired and put our heart and soul into creating work that is sometimes bigger than us. Once a painting leaves the studio, it is no longer ours. It belongs to the world, and my only hope is that it finds its way to the perfect collector who truly appreciates and cares for it. Because art reflects life and life reflects art, making owning original art a purchase of the heart.
This is why I paint.
This is art.
The collector, Gary Gaston, the night the work was installed in his home, November 2019.
Gary’s home, post-tornado – Tuesday 3/2/20
The painting, after falling during the storm.
