Once

Once
I am fascinated by the transience of beauty and of life, by the ability we have to ignore that we are continually moving through time, almost surprised when we realize a moment has passed. Even so, it is only on rare occasions that I find myself caught up in the moment, not wondering about the future or dwelling on the past, but truly captured by an instance in time.

In Japanese culture there exists a concept originally from the tea ceremony of “ichi-go ichi-e” which translated means something close to “in one lifetime, one meeting” or “once in a lifetime.” Moving beyond the structured confines of the teahouse, this idea that an instance, a particular occurrence will only happen once makes time both special and poignant. It serves to remind me that no matter how good (or how bad), all is temporary. The beauty of cherry blossoms in spring, the brilliant colors of fall, the cold rush of mist swirling off of a waterfall, and even friendships, all have their lifespan and are never the same the next time around, and therefore should be appreciated in the moment when we realize we are in it. The works in the show serve as a touchstone to this—both as an encouragement to seize the day and as a memorial for what has been lost.

Laurel Lukaszewski
2009

Once, Project 4 Gallery, Washington, DC	Gallery from outside
Sakura (detail), porcelain, copper wire, 2009	Sakura (detail)
Sakura (detail)	Sakura view from 1st Floor
Sakura view from 2nd Floor of main wall	Sakura view of 2nd Floor Gallery
Sakura Petals in 2nd Floor Gallery	Sakura view of 2nd Floor Gallery
Ghost, porcelain, 2009	Ghost (detail)
Ghost	Floridan, porcelain, 2009
Pause, porcelain, 2009	Pause
Pause	Pause (detail)