Harold Kalmus

Artist Statement

Although I am a firm believer that artists should be seen and not heard, the “Artist’s Statement” is a necessary evil so…

Being one who has chosen form over words as a means of communication, I am compelled to borrow from a master of the latter. The Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges spoke of poetry as “algebra and fire”. Algebra is structure, the formal qualities, the composition, craftsmanship and the systems of creation. Fire is the passion, the emotion and the story to be told.

Too much algebra and the work is sterile, dispassionate and relies on gimmickry. Too much fire; the result is a saccharine sweetness, melodrama or a general confusion of intent. The articulate and graceful balance of the two is essential, and what I aspire to in my work.