My series of human hearts is a body of work that I’ve added to intermittently over 2 years, and is what I consider to be my most intentional work to date. The concept behind these paintings meanders between simple color exercises and a reflection of my preoccupation with love and human emotions. Working on these pieces eventually became a personal discovery for me, as it made me even more aware of how much I overanalyzed and obsessed about this topic. After much consideration and refining, I decided that this was the year to share the work with the world as a completed concept.

Through November 22, The Holland Project in Reno, NV will be exhibiting a collection of my human hearts in their Hallway Gallery. This show, titled Cor Cordium, is particularly significant to me because it is my first solo show since 2016. Here is my artist statement:

When I first conceptualized this series, the idea was very simplistic and immature, which I am sure was indicative of my mindset at the time. After a break, and some life experience, I returned to the idea with a more developed approach. I chose to use human hearts rather than the stylized “Hallmark heart” because it felt more realistic and complex, as love can be sometimes. At that point, the series evolved to be as much about color as it was about presenting each of the hearts as a sort of token to remind people about the act of feeling. Later in the series, I began to depict the hearts with erosion or missing pieces which marked a significant turn in the work.

The title of the show, Cor Cordium, is a Latin phrase meaning “heart of hearts.” As I present this series of paintings as a fully realized idea to the world for the first time, in my heart of hearts I think that the significance behind this process was a way of challenging myself, and the viewer, to be mindful of what is inward. Who are we and what do we truly desire, in the deepest depths of our core? What kind of effort are we making to align the external with the internal?

Gallery hours are Wednesday - Friday from 12-6pm, with an opening reception on October 25, from 6-8pm. For more information, visit The Holland Project's exhibits page here.

I will also be sharing selected works and insights on my Instagram page @tracilturner, so be sure to follow me there to stay in touch!