‘absentia’ or absence is for me multi-layered and references both physical & emotional presence as well as absence. Being fully present in a space and time is considered increasingly difficult and it is my hope that these meditative moments in painting help to regard our place, and our connections within and beyond ourselves. It is also a memorial in a way to the palpable feeling of loss, how an empty space can feel tangible when no longer occupied by people or even objects that were so integral to our own existence. The final physical painting features water, which I often use as a form of eraser and it also removes my control over aspects of the process. The light from Governor’s Island shines through parts of the image and reminds me of the beautiful day it was created, lending a bit of hope in these trying times. ‘absentia’ and my complete first collection of NFT’s inspired by my physical paintings and collaborations is viewable on the platform, Opensea, link below.

https://opensea.io/collection/greggvemery-collection