To meet with Todd Monaghan in his studio is to walk into a world of art. From the moment I walked into the building, I was in a gallery, floor opening to floor, leading up stairs lined with images, until I walked in a door where even the floors look like a painting and are vibrant with life. Over Earl Grey tea on a gray spring day, we talked about art and life and work, and when I walked out the door again I was changed, my spirit uplifted as I made my way back downtown, walking and seeing the world in a new way, with every color and image I saw around me seeming more alive somehow. I had a revelation in that studio that day, something that may seem simple to some, but came to me in a flash of enlightenment - art and creative expression are alive and ever changing, and the work that is created by truly creative spirits cannot be bound or held down or kept from continuing to grow and evolve - even the seemingly finished pieces will continue to bring new life to others as they are shared with the world.
I don't want to use the same old words to describe the experience I had that day - mixed media, collage, modern art, abstract art, contemporary, classic, fine art - all could be used to describe the work I experienced, but there is always something more to say. Words alone can't fully describe the moment when the eye takes in what a soul has produced, and spirit meets spirit in a conversation of life. From a design standpoint, the work is flawless, and could compliment and enliven any space, but there is also that something more that brings the viewer in, a personal story that helps us to understand our own. With touches of glitter and the use of crushed eggshells, there is a texture that is visceral, catching the eye and reaching the heart, mind and spirit with a power and beauty that opens a new world.
Todd Monaghan In His Studio
New York City
Blessings,
Jannie Susan
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