The Floating World - Margo Donaldson

Leave it to Samuel Ace, trained as a painter, to discover the somnolent beauty of a RV encampment in the early morning hours, just as the occupants emerge and begin their morning routine. In his hands the massive metal structures appear luminous against the water, pristine and hopeful.

Similarly, Herb Lotz, stationed in the Vietnamese jungle in 1969, has managed to preserve and illuminate the vulnerable beauty of soldiers, back from an all night mission, as they sleep during the day. These men, boys really, caught in a rare moment of oblivion, in the middle of turmoil, appear both fragile and solid, underscoring the beauty of our lives and their impermanence.

The title of this show comes from the name given by the Japanese to the entertainment districts of Edo, “Ukiyo-e” and the mass produced woodblock prints depicting the multiple diversions there. Buddhists use the term “Ukiyo” to refer to the sadness of the material world. The work of Samuel Ace and Herb Lotz is a meditation on the beauty of impermanence, whether it is the temporary installation of a nomadic camp, objects from a swap meet, or the deathly loveliness of soldiers sleeping during the day.

The Floating World is one we all inhabit, as we pursue pleasure, however fleeting, and seek to make ourselves known.