I often wonder why I’m attracted to the cracks, crevices, and lines in patinaed objects. I find the macro view fascinating, like the world that comes alive when we look through a microscope. Part of me suspects that, as I age, I’m trying to find validation that there is beauty or worth in the lines of time. That the dents and fading add character and value, because when you look closely they reveal an intricate story of survival.
Scratch Ticket in situ by Gayle Waterman, © 2025
Recently, in Western Art & Architecture, I was delighted to see the work of an artist I’ve admired, Jason Kowalski. I felt somewhat validated that I’m not the only person intrigued with how things in the world around us age. Jason Kowalski’s oil paintings bring relics out of the past into the present. The writer of the article, Rose DeMaris, wrote that Jason’s work “celebrates the curious beauty of dilapidation”. His paintings record memories from my childhood where some parts of Route 66 looked like Las Vegas, where motel signs glittered brightly in the distance on late-night road trips and where these bits of “Americana” are still relevant.
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Golden Hour by Jason Kowalski, © 2024
I’m fortunate that I get to see Jason’s work in Santa Fe at LewAllen Galleries, one of my favorite galleries. Jason succinctly states, “I believe that beauty lies in transformation” and “find joy in looking”. When I read this article, it warmed my heart to know there are other people who enjoy looking deeply and who express these observations through art. Even though my photographic interpretation of a weathered item or a relic is different from Jason’s, there is a common appreciation for the beauty that the patina of time reveals.