Excavating Memory: The "Memory Buoy" Exhibition at Salem State University

There is a specific kind of quietude found at the tide line—a place where the ocean deposits the fractured remains of what it once held. My recent work, currently on display as part of the Memory Buoy exhibition at Salem State University, seeks to capture that intersection of coastal geography and the persistent, often fragmented nature of memory. The term "Memory Buoy" serves as a metaphor for the markers we place within our own internal landscapes. Just as a buoy identifies a specific location or hazard in shifting waters, these artistic "buoys" mark moments of significance, grief, and discovery.

This body of work is rooted in the "New Casualism" movement. For me, this means embracing the "unfinished," the improvisational, and the raw. It is an excavation. I approach the plate or the canvas not to dictate a scene, but to uncover what is buried beneath layers of acrylic and texture. 

Beyond the individual pieces, this show represents a commitment to the art-making process as a form of social inquiry. As a Professor Emeritus of Social Work, my academic background in welfare policy often bleeds into my studio practice. I view these works not just as aesthetic objects, but as a dialogue about how we preserve history and memory in an ever-changing environment.

Thank you to the Salem State University community for hosting this exhibition and for providing a space where these visual "excavations" can be shared.

The following is a preview of some of the pieces shared in the exhibit, all of which are for sale ($250-$600 with discount from Four Eleven Gallery)