It would be surprising for someone to ask: “How does one write a sentence without a word? And how does one tell a story without sentences?” But language is complex, as is the human psyche. Language can be a blessing or a curse. Words can be vague, and meanings obscured. I can ‘love’ my partner, or I can ‘love’ my mother, or I can ‘love’ my pepperoni pizza. Obviously, these ‘loves’ are not the same. Without knowledge and context or intend, words become disintegrated. The philosopher William James explored this notion at the turn of the 20th century, in his writings about the stream of consciousness. James suggested that the words which comprise a sentence are not the most psychologically-salient portion of discourse. The words, he suggested, are akin to a bird in flight –transitive. It was the space between the sentences –when the bird lights– that were the substantive part of the discourse– where we are all allowed to contemplate the meaning of the words just written or spoken. Perhaps this is related to the fact that individuals often pray silently, or that in times of intense emotions, we take a moment of silence.

Rainer has given us a gift with this exhibition, appropriately entitled “.Vesper”. He has given us the structures and the spaces which afford deep contemplation.

Within his sculptures and mixed media artwork Rainer provides hints of meaning, decontextualized fragments, uncovered, yet obscured; exposing the fragility and malleability of language, Rainer’s work is informed by intense historical contexts, rich with philosophical and personal allusion.

These are the stories that cannot be told when words and sentences become inadequate to convey experiences which are ineffable.

On behalf of all of us here this evening, thank you for your artwork, your stories, Rainer.

Steven Specht

Thank you Mike Betro and MediaMagnet Productions for the video!