Passing Through

“I began mulling on the idea of Passing Through after discovering a piece of garden sculpture with a hole drilled through it. I fixated on the idea of having one thing in front of me and something else peeking out from the other side, beyond my reach. We knew we were only passing through paradise on Kauai, which served as a reminder that we would continue to pass through and emerge from the pandemic as well.”
– Karen Hochman Brown

Passing Through emerged from a winter spent on the island of Kauai during the first winter of COVID-19. The longer the pandemic persisted, the more reality’s usual dimensions twisted and contorted. 

Moving on from being solely in the clouds, these fantastical panoramas now include elements of ocean and earth. As we endured isolation, the ground seemed to stand as the only constant. The horizon also served as an anchor, much needed.

Karen Hochman Brown endeavors to create artwork that holds a positive view of the world, even through a crisis as overwhelming as a global pandemic. Each piece embodies the essence of that transformative time on Kauai and the altered perceptions that came with it. 

Hochman Brown chose to print on the matte surface of maple panels for these artworks, which feel more in tune with an island attitude.

In addition to digital prints, the show includes small lightbox mixed-media pieces, direct extensions of the “In The Bubble” series she produced in 2020 and inspired by Mary Corse: A Survey in Light. The artist’s intimate animations—soothing, meditative, and synced to the rhythm of breathing—add another dimension to the show.