Reclusive fine artist Craig Luster to host #MeToo inspired art & jazz show at Old St. Peter’s Landmark Sept. 2nd & 3rd
Craig Luster at home in his studio. To his left is an unfinished sculpture, and to his right is a finished pastel drawing titled “The Revelation of Saint Teresa” which depicts St. Teresa of Ávila, who believed she had been visited by Jesus in invisible bodily form. She was also famous for having experienced a vision of a Seraph angel who thrust a flaming spear into her heart and set her on fire with a love of God so spiritually painful and sweet that she never wished to be rid of it. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
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By Cole Goodwin
The elusive Hood River based fine artist Craig Luster, who has been making art in the Gorge for over forty years, has come out of the studio for the first time in years to host an art show featuring his latest body of work inspired by the #MeToo movement at Old St. Peter’s Landmark at 405 Lincoln St on September 2nd and 3rd from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m.
On Friday, at 7 p.m. Luster’s good friend Victor Johnson will play a set to accompany the show and on Saturday at 7 p.m. a Jazz Trio, consisting of renowned musicians Randy Porter on piano, Todd Strait on drums, and Dave Captein on bass will play a show to accompany the gallery.
Craig Luster in his home studio. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
The show will feature 12 two dimensional pieces including oil paintings and pastel drawings and three marble sculptures showcasing the strength, melancholy, and grief of experiencing womanhood in a patriarchal society.
“I have something to say and I want people to see it,” said Luster of his work. “ This is a show about women and the current place they occupy in society. Gender inequality is a huge problem for our world. I have witnessed abuse of women in my family. There’s been a lot of political action but women are still being abused, slighted and demeaned everywhere…and they’re 51% of the f*cking population!”
The show features a body of work inspired by the early Italian Renaissance painters such as Fra Angelico.
“The art is narrative based, and the light that I draw mostly from Carravagio, helps the narrative. Vermeer and Van Gogh are also my inspirations,” said Luster.
Much like many early Renaissance works, the pieces showcase the artist’s technical mastery of light and shadow to create illusory space. Each image suggests that without light nothing can be seen, yet without shadow, nothing can be realistically defined.
In this way many of the paintings and drawings utilize light and shadow to create the narrative, or the story of the piece. Each image seems to ask the question known to every woman who faces gender inequality in America and around the world: who will prevail in the righteous struggle for gender equality? The forces of darkness or light?
In this piece by Luster, a woman appears to make eye contact with the viewer as she takes her place just one step behind the shadowy masculine figure shown in the background. Depending on the viewers perspective her gaze lands upon the viewer like an unspoken question, a cry for help, or a look of solidarity declaring #MeToo. The versatility of the piece speaks to Luster’s talent for crafting just enough narrative with his art to invite the viewer to tell their own story. The image is also full of symbolism regarding the duality of womanhood, for while the woman in the picture may stand one step behind the man at her side, she is the first to draw the viewers eye. And although darkness surrounds her, she shines with a light that appears to radiate from within. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Color carries much symbolism in Luster’s work.
“My use of color comes predominantly from the Renaissance painters, they couldn't use color for the faces in their paintings because they had limited resources. So, many of the women have little color in their faces,” said Luster.
Masterful use of complementary colors of blue and yellow are used throughout the series to showcase the duality of womanhood and create visual balance.
A renaissance that reveres women. Luster’s current body of work masterfully captures the look and feel of early Italian Renaissance paintings while maintaining a minimalist color palate. Luster’s background in fine art, which is considered to be the highest standard of artistic expression is evident in the quality of his work. To his left are a depiction of the Virgin Mother Mary and a woman looking at her reflection in the mirror. To his right is a depiction of a woman who stands half in darkness and half in light. Furthest to the right is an art piece which features a woman in a yellow dress standing in the center of a stone archway. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
At times the yellow in each image seems to symbolize enlightenment, honor, intellect, optimism, energy, and even remembrance.
However in one image of the Blessed Mother Virgin Mary, it is blues and greens which dominate the scene instead of the traditional blue and red used for Mary in Catholic art. In addition, instead of the white and grey tones used for the other women’s skin, her skin has tones of earthy beige and brown which serve as a testament to her humanity.
“Blue has huge connotations to Mother Mary,” said Luster. “The specific blue It symbolizes divinity, purity, transcendence, and motherhood. It is the color of our world from far out into space.”
Green on the other hand symbolizes growth, renewal, and rebirth. It is also the color of consent.
Old St. Peter’s Landmark, is a 115 year old former Catholic church. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
His show also includes a pastel drawing titled “The Revelation of Saint Teresa.”
But while some of the images depict religious figures that could easily look at home as altarpieces in Old St. Peter’s Landmark, Luster says that his work is not religious but rather, reverent.
“I avoid religion. But I am inspired by the strength of these icons. For me they are these strong female archetypes that speak to me of the importance of revering women’s place in the world. They are the mothers and spiritual saviors of the world.”
“I have this belief that women are actually stronger than men in almost every way,” said Luster.
His marble sculpture Strength depicts that exact sentiment.
The sculpture features a woman looking off into the distant future with an expression of determined resolve. Framing her are two pillars of strength that can be interpreted by the viewer as trees, columns and clouds, or even a storm cloud that has unleashed its downpour around her, while she stands protected in the eye of the storm.
Strength, a marble sculpture by Craig Luster. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
“I met a woman in The Dalles, who was the first woman to walk in space. And I’ve never been as attracted to or seen a more beautiful and strong woman in all my life and meeting her really informed this work,” said Luster.
Overall though, his artist heart was drawn to communicate an important message with his upcoming show.
“This art resulted from my recognition of the great injustice and loss to the human species that we don’t have gender equality,” said Luster. “I really hope women walk away from this show feeling stronger and I hope that men walk away having recognized the power and resilience of these women.”
Craig Luster flashes a rare smile while talking to CCCNews in his studio. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
“I know that for me, the women in my life have had such an impact on my heart that I feel I must share that impact with others. The women in my life have brought me knowledge and enlightenment and they deserve better than what they have received from the hands of men in our society.”
Craig Luster enjoying a quiet moment with the bees and the flowers in his yard. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Art lovers take note: Craig Luster, a retired plumber with two Masters in Fine Arts from Portland State University and the University of Santa Cruz is a notoriously reclusive and introverted artist and has in fact, only put on three shows in his entire career. So, if you haven’t seen his work in person before, this might be your best chance to experience it. After all, who knows when this reclusive artist will come out of the studio to share and sell his work again.
“Galleries make me uncomfortable. That’s part of why I chose Old St. Peter’s Landmark for this show,” said Luster “I’m a classic introvert. I don’t use facebook or have a website. I don’t want to be a part of the digital social world. I like real in person connections, but I get overwhelmed if I’m talking to more than three people at once. I like my quiet life of creation. But it is nice to share that creation as well. So, I’m looking forward to the experience of sharing my art with others.”
Art enthusiasts, art lovers, and jazz and music enthusiasts mark your calendars because you do not want to miss out on this one time only experience from Craig Luster in the beautiful St. Peter’s landmark on September 2nd and 3rd from 3-9 p.m.
Art buyers can contact Craig at Craigluster@gmail.com or 541-490-4001.
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