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11/14/2005: "HURRICANE HITS South Florida" by Laurence Gartel
It is no fun being in a hurricane I can tell you that. After traveling to Monterey to participate in the Mobile Imaging Summit, I treated myself to a drive down through Carmel into Big Sur and into Santa Barbara. I passed the Hearst Castle in San Simeon through Malibu Canyon into magnificent Malibu, and then to Los Angeles. This was one of the most gorgeous and spirited trips I had ever taken alone. (This was two weeks ago.)Coming home to Florida I landed in a severe rain storm and had a difficult landing: Perhaps a tell tale sign that something uncomfortable was ahead. A few days later there were warning signals that a major storm was approaching. I didnt pay too much attention at first as it was south in Mexico and circling in the Gulf region.
Then they started to say that the hurricane was going to cross the state. I was always under the impression that if a storm goes over land it usually subsides and loses its momentum. This is an inaccurate statement. The storm going over the everglades actually picked up steam. Hurricane Wilma crashed over South Florida as a severe Category 3. It knocked out street signs in my area as well as breaking windows, screen enclosures, bulldozing strong healthy tall trees; uprooting many of them as if they were just tooth picks. Many roofs were blown off and buildings suffered structural damage. Just today I left my area for the first time and saw the shear devastation around me. It looked like a war zone. (This is after 10 days!) Living without electricity in today's world is a tremendous hardship. No hot water, no power to pump gas, no air conditioning, and the lines for gasoline were 3-5 hours long due to the fact that only two stations were open running on back up generator power.
Its impossible to get into all the possible scenarios of what's going on and what's not because the events are staggering. Old people not being able to get to doctors, not being able to get their medicines, no telephone service, jobs lost, property destroyed, including boats and marinas shut down, and schools remain closed as well thus prohibiting the progress of education. At the end of the month bills are due and people do not have the money to pay them. There is a night curfew so any business that relies on evening traffic is basically out of business. The effects of this of course ripple as restaurants cannot pay their employees, food cannot be delivered, etc. To say that some businesses are STILL effected by the events of September 11th are never discussed.
This is all unimaginable unless you have been through it. My power came back on after 8 days and thus you forget that there are 66% that still are without electricity. Because your electricity comes back you immediately feel its the same for everyone else, when it isnt. It is a serious hardship. This whole storm has fallen off the radar to due the political events that have taken place or the propaganda machine of FEMA not wishing to take any more reprimand for lack of action yet again. I will leave that part to politicians that "only come out" when it is in their own best interest. You dont hear a peep out of any of these guys under "normal" circumstances. Politics after all, is all about special interests.
Moving back to ART (Which is what this website is all about) ...If there is a silver lining in this whole story, I can tell you that people are resilient and that the human spirit is strong. As far as art production is concerned, some of the greatest works known to civilization were created during adverse times.
During the aftermath of the hurricane I created four (4) works by candlelight and by battery power. You can imagine that a digital artist without electricity is virtually shut down. I created a suite of four (4) works with some of the down foliage and debris. I am offering these works as hand signed works printed on 8 1/2" x 11" for only $200 each and will be giving a portion of the proceeds to the RED CROSS Hurricane Disaster Relief. If any one has never had the chance to afford my work, now is the opportunity because I want to reach out to as many people as possible. Do contact my associate Robert Brown: gartel@gate.net and he will help you with your acquisition.
I thank ABSOLUTEARTS for contributing their space for this BLOG, and for previewing the "WILMA SERIES" for their viewers to see first.
May we all live without duress and enrich our lives with ART.
Laurence GARTEL
