Laszlo Romer Artist: Essays from sleep

Essays from sleep

Like slides from a magic lantern, these paintings share an allegory of daydreaming as a window to self-reflection, creativity, and will.

The wandering mind is generally not welcome in the workplace or the classroom, but recent thinking suggests that daydreams can have positive benefits for personal health and wellbeing.

Modest in scale and using a square format that panders to Instagram, the pictures gather to form a non-linear storyboard of afternoon meditations. An occasional arched playschool window suggests a viewport to the mise en scene.

The pictures borrow from historical photographs including a silhouette from the 1963 film 8½. Marcello is shown as my uncle in his orchard and then in another picture his hand becomes greatly magnified as Buddha comforting a baby elephant. The little elephant, distressed by his shrinking environment, welcomes the shelter of the giant fingers.

A figure from a painting by Tiepolo walks half invisible along a garden path, merging with the landscape, happily wandering like the projections of his mind around him.

Another figure finds himself in the unlikely situation of pushing a boat. The vessel that should be carrying him over the water becomes a burden that challenges his perseverance and sense of duty.

A crossed legged sitter finds her dreams are blocked by the illusion of brick walls. She aims her sights a little higher and like Oscar Wilde, looks to the stars to transcend her troubles.

In the final picture a daydreamer returns like a falling stone to his stylized bed. Not broken or distracted, but focused and invigorated. Inspired to dream on.