On Sept. 28, 20 art galleries in La Jolla joined together in their mutual appreciation by hosting the annual La Jolla Gallery and Wine Walk. This was an evening filled with food, wine and warmth, combined with a wordless meeting of the minds. There were plenty of opportunities to converse before inspirational images, sometimes with the artists themselves. There were many moments of silent contemplation. For the romantic seeking to see through the eyes of his love, or for the individual seeking new seas of perspective, this was the evening to soar through the skies of imagination.
To go through a descriptive process of naming artists and galleries would be to rob the reader of the joy of exploration. The wine and hors d’oeuvres came on this evening with the purchase of a ticket, but the art is there today for all to find within walking distance of Ivanhoe and Prospect. When you step out of your auto, you step into a Mediterranean venue that beckons you with the promise of discovery around every corner.
Walk through one door with me where you can be confronted with the works of an artist who studied under Salvador Dali. Within this cozy gallery, your mind is challenged by unusual landscapes from the world of imagination. One may suggest the boundary of civilization and the beginning of forever; another an everlasting path of life, which generations of people have taken in discovery of themselves.
Another door will lead us into a spacious and well-lit gallery, where among a variety of images we may view the streets of Paris. These images, devoid of people, draw us into the painting and evoke memories of past experience or feelings of new surroundings we have never before experienced. Images from a different artist, devoid of color, invite us to fill in the colors of our hearts to figures engaged in human communion.
Within another gallery, we walk into a distant world of exotic locations and mysterious people. We may gaze together into the horizon over Venice, from some unknown hilltop perspective. We are invited to gather with the merchants of the East within an Asian bazaar. We may look upon people through the lens of the music of life, as Cubist images appear to dance before our eyes. Everywhere you turn, you will look into a different world.
There is no possibility of walking away from this experience, as you are compelled to take it with you. Everything you see and do now becomes enhanced with new perspective of life. Beauty becomes apparent, where it once did not exist. Answers begin to appear, where the problems once seemed hopeless. And all are the gifts of the artists who have endeavored to share their hearts with us. I was even honored with a request to help one young female artist carry her work up into a nearby gallery. This was an evening I look forward to reliving. From one who would never look upon a painting, my thanks go out to the galleries and restaurants that made this evening a possibility. For the artists who continue to fill these galleries with works, my thanks for an eternal perspective of life. I will return.
Eric Visconti holds a B.A in Biblical Studies, thoroughly enjoys writing poetry and currently works as a strategic advisor in the area of disability insurance.
