11 Comments »

1. 

   Carl, this is simply awesome.

   Comment by julie — Thu 16th October 2014 @ 5:55 pm

2. 

   Thanks for that -I think its a really good way to tell a story – Raise awareness, promote discussion – all that stuff.

   AT the opening last week it was fantastic to see the response people were having.

   A good friend of mine a good old tear up and later shared with me she had never thought too much about what her father may have gone through as an absent father.

   Another mate basically would not shut up ( in the best possible way ) about his experiences of being an absent father … and so on.

   Looking forward to this weekend to see how it all goes.

   Thanks

   Carl

   Comment by carlos — Thu 16th October 2014 @ 8:08 pm

3. 

   wow would be nice to see such expression in
   Auckland, any images would be nice?

   cheers
   Dbo

   Comment by V.O.F.M — Thu 16th October 2014 @ 8:32 pm

4. 

   Good job Carl!
   I agree with VOFM. Your work deserves to go much further.

   Comment by Stephen Gee — Fri 17th October 2014 @ 12:45 am

5. 

   I have seen Carl’s exhibition and can recommend it to all. Powerful imagery!

   Comment by Allan Harvey — Fri 17th October 2014 @ 1:05 pm

6. 

   Is the show going on tour outside of Wellington?

   Comment by Downunder — Fri 17th October 2014 @ 2:41 pm

7. 

   Thanks Allan, would you please give a review and a little description of the images and imagery? Cheers, Murray.

   Comment by MurrayBacon — Fri 17th October 2014 @ 4:50 pm

8. 

   In the exhibit is a fridge to which is attached lawyers letters, a Child Support assessment etc. I didn’t look in the fridge but certainly the cupboard was bare in some of the photos. For those of us who have experienced this the symbolism is very real.

   some idiot spoke saying things like;
   Many have experienced feeling challenged in our role as parents some even feeling dismissed as a parent. Absence from our children and family has often left us feeling despair, undervalued, frustrated and often shamed. Organisations like the Family Court, Child Support, enter our lives and we can feel extremely vulnerable, disorientated and powerless in our own small world.
   Often men find these changes embarrassing and shameful. Many of us pretend that these changes are not happening and live different lives at our workplace and our social gathering places. Often we pretend that our denial about loss of family is not the first stages of grief that we feel. While feeling this pain we are also trying to establish some sense of new identity after separation and trying to maintain relationship with our children is a key aspect of this.
   Carl Lea has invited us here this afternoon to share some of his own experience and through his photography we can experience a look into his feelings at this time. I want to thank Carl for the bravery and courage of looking into himself and sharing his work with us today and others who come to visit this gallery during this exhibition. Thank-you Carl for inviting us into your world. What I see has significant parallels with my own story and I am sure with the history of many men and parents here. Thank you for making your world visible to us so we can reflect on our own personal world and come together and share our experience with others.
   The exciting thing I see here in these paintings is that times of challenge, grief and struggle can also build us up even if we have felt at times very low.. I see on these walls about us exciting images about redemption, re-balancing, rebuilding and moving forward. Yes absence, powerlessness and loss are here but so too is that going forward story. Here there are new perspectives, new perceptions about parenting about coming to terms with change. Thank-you Carl, for sharing this dramatic work with us all. Thank-you for the story, your reflection on that story and your invitation to enter your world and to allow us to share together.

   Comment by Allan Harvey — Fri 17th October 2014 @ 6:16 pm

9. 

   Hi guys

   Thanks so much for your encouragement.

   I would like to have the exhibition come to Auckland. Highly likely this could happen just going to tale the normal ingredients of time and money.

   I will keen you posted

   Thanks

   Carl

   Comment by Carl Lea — Sat 18th October 2014 @ 6:41 pm

10. 

    Beautifully said, thank you Allan. And of course, thanks Carl for your openness and honesty. MurrayBacon.

    Comment by MurrayBacon — Sat 18th October 2014 @ 9:04 pm

11. 

    People have been doing this sort of thing for centuries, using art to display pain and suffering. When you look back you see the work but not necessarily the artist.

    It is interesting seeing this happening with our situation in the modern world.

    It occurs to me that this is not something that happens as a matter of course, but takes the right combination of events, the right person, the right talent, the willingness of the artist to expose their vulnerability, not to mention the fortitude to confront the oppression and the system/persons/regime, that causes the situation.

    Work like this can become timeless memories of the inhumanity of the world.

    Hope you make it to Auckland Carl.

    Comment by Downunder — Sun 19th October 2014 @ 7:41 am

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