The Art of R.W. Firestone

 
 

Faced with the existential reality of aloneness, sickness, aging and one’s eventual death, man can choose to close off emotionally, desensitize himself and depersonalize, or choose to give value and meaning to life.  As a clinical psychologist, author and psychotherapist, I have devoted myself to helping people face their personal demons, know themselves and triumph over their psychological pain and suffering.  As an artist, I have attempted to live a creative life, searching and striving for meaning and beauty.  Working with the computer as a creative instrument, I have attempted to invent something feelingful, sensitive and beautiful out of an unfeeling machine. The computer, like all of man’s technological achievements, has been used for both good and evil machinations.


Life and creativity are the antithesis of cynicism and despair.  Intimidated by the issue of death and dying, we often turn our backs on life and feeling but instead we could choose to embrace life.  We are, each one of us, fragile and helpless, and are therefore all brothers.  Ideally, that would imply empathy, tolerance and generosity toward our fellows.  I live and share life closely with a multitude of people and try to exemplify a sense of love, enlightenment and joy in being and becoming.  My art and my insights into life are a very personal offering to others, a simple sharing of my feelings and perceptions.  In my artistic productions, I utilize a variety of images, impressions and approaches to address the fullness and complexity of my experience.  In all of my work, I try to blend color and composition into an enjoyable visual adventure.


My artistic endeavors are characterized by the use of a variety of vivid and vibrant colors. Colors are important because they symbolize our feelings and emotions.  As a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, I have helped countless people to challenge their psychological defenses and achieve close, loving relationships.  Facing up to their anxieties and confronting their personal demons allowed them to recover their deepest feelings and become more fully alive. As an artist, I wish to inspire a deep feeling for people as well as an appreciation for aesthetics.  In both fields, I aspire to make an important contribution to people’s appreciation of life and personal fulfillment.

 

Bio and Statement

Recent Solo Exhibitions

  1. BulletFeelings, Walter Wickiser Gallery, New York, NY

  2. BulletTransformations, Omma Center of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara, CA

  3. BulletThe Adventure of Images, Museo d’Arte Sant’ Apollonia, Venice, IT

  4. BulletThe Adventure of Images, Museo Fundacion Rodriguez Acosta, Granada, SP


Recent Group Shows

  1. BulletGallery Artists IV, Walter Wickiser Gallery, NY, NY

  2. BulletFides, Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery, New York, NY

  3. Bullet10 American Artists, Schlos St. Peter, AU

  4. BulletSnap to Grid, LA Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA


Recent Juried Contests

  1. BulletChania 2007, 5th Intl. Art Festival, Chania, Crete, GR

  2. BulletChania 2006, 4th Intl. Art Festival, Chania, Crete, GR

  3. BulletFace Value 2005, Associated Artists, Winston-Salem, NC


Book & Magazine Covers

  1. BulletAmerican Planning Association Magazine

  2. BulletAmerican Psychologist Journal

  3. BulletCreating a Life of Meaning and Compassion, published by American Psychological Association Books

  4. BulletSchizophrenia in Late Life, published by American Psychological Assoc. Books

  5. BulletSex and Love in Intimate Relations, published by Psychological Assoc. Books

  6. BulletIntl. Contemporary Masters 2008, published by OMMA Center of Contemporary Art


Education:

  1. BulletBA: Psychology, UC Berkeley

  2. BulletMA: Psychology, CSU LA

  3. BulletPhD: Clinical Psychology, U of Denver


Major works in psychology:


The Fantasy Bond

1985


Voice Therapy

1988

Compassionate Child Rearing

1990

Psychological Defenses in Everyday Life

1989


Psychological Websites:

  1. BulletThe Glendon Association

  2. BulletPsychAlive