Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

I met Jean-Antoine Norbert after seeing one of his paintings at an exhibit at 107 Bowers Gallery & ArtSpace. I have written about the gallery before, and though it is lovely and always full of great energy, it is a small space and the work of Jean-Antoine Norbert is larger than life. The extraordinary thing about seeing his work there is that though the space was small, the piece did not take over or give a feeling of being overcrowded. That is one of the many magical qualities of Jean-Antoine Norbert's work - though the topics are filled to the brim with meaning and weight and depth, and the pieces can be physically very large, the paintings and sculptures themselves seem somehow full of light and a lighter kind of energy. I met Jean-Antoine after seeing his painting when he gave an artist talk at the gallery, and I videotaped a few short portions of it to post on Instagram. I told him at the time that I'd love to meet to talk about a blog post, but he was busy and traveling and the time wasn't right. But then on another evening at the gallery for another show when we talked again the timing aligned and I made an appointment to visit him in his studio at Mana Contemporary.

That afternoon we talked for some time, and I returned again for the Open Studios a few weeks later. In between he had been showing his work in several galleries and spaces, and also applying for an Extraordinary Ability Visa that he had been sponsored for by someone who knew and greatly respected his work. It is never easy to obtain an Extraordinary Ability Visa, and in the current time we are living in, it has become even harder, but Jean-Antoine Norbert has extraordinary ability, and his work and work ethic show that in everything he does.

In December I attended his birthday celebration, and in the months leading up to the present I saw him at several other events. He is well liked by so many, because he is a great talent who also is humble and a supporter of others. I remember being impressed by the words he spoke when I videotaped him, and his education and knowledge of art runs very deep. But he has an ability to converse and express himself in ways that are accessible and not esoteric - it is a joy to see his work, share time with him and talk because he is always seeking a way to share experience and inspiration, to try new things and explore new ideas. His work is more than excellent, because it is inspired by a spirit that seeks to always find deeper meaning, and combined with his understanding of his craft and his sensitivity in communicating on every level, his ability becomes something truly extraordinary.

Jean-Antoine Norbert

In His Studio At Mana Contemporary
http://www.jeanantoinenorbert.com/