Carole A. Feuerman, “Unveiler” of Beauty
I had the privilege of being friends with Lou Reed for the last 15 years of his life, and the fortune of having him as one of the first supporters of the Made in Cloister project launched by our Foundation in 2011 in Naples’ ancient quarter of Porta Capuana. One of the most suitable definitions of our project, which I often refer to, was expressed by Reed himself: a place to house beautiful works of art. Indeed, it is through beauty that we can trace a line that unites all of our activities and identifies our project. Naturally, we are not referring to objective beauty, but rather to an idea of beauty that is present in all things – even in those that are seemingly disorienting and traumatic for human beings – and that the artist has the ability to capture and display. The works of Carole A. Feuerman are objectively captivating, and yet they represent the unease, suffering and struggles that individuals face every day as well as the tranquility that always steps in and interrupts those states. A sort of “calm after the storm” that reminds us that the condition of impermanence is the only certainty of human existence, and the key to making sense of it. I was particularly struck by one observation made by Feuerman: she recalls the helplessness artists often feel when dealing with the concrete problems of the world, or when they consider the possibility of helping people in their daily struggles. Her work offers the best possible response for understanding the meaning of art: it is only via the creative process that artists can play the role of “unveilers” of beauty and architects of the world, through a visionary gaze towards the future.