Everyday I walk to the edge of the continent.
I pass by a mysterious house on a beautiful street, named after the daughter of the founder of the magical city of Santa Monica. Her name was Georgina.
I wonder what it was like — to have a street named after you, near some orange groves in a sparsely populated city by the ocean. I envision her dad, getting off a horse.
“Honey, I have some exciting news. I’m going to name a street after you.”
I’ve seen the house in every possible light. It has a round archway on the entry with large banana plants framing it like bangs or servants ready to greet you.
At dusk the doorway looks gold. A few years ago, I painted it. Of course, I named it “Georgina.”
“Georgina” was presented in a 2017 exhibition called Brazen and, of course, she made the cover of the postcard.
I slipped her in my purse and wrote a note on the back, thinking, I must tell the owners of the mysterious house. Maybe they’ll come to the opening.
I knocked. No one answered. I waited. I knocked again and then slipped it under the door, hoping that maybe I’ll meet him or her or them at the opening reception.
When I turned around, I found myself standing underneath the hood of the curved entryway. The sun was bright and the street dramatically changed in appearance. The sun dappled the steps in shimmering gold. The light was a hot and bright. The plants became black in contrast and the interior walls held another place and time altogether. It was a kind of miracle.
I had to paint that too.
What should I call it? I struggled with the name. I took an anthology of poems by Emily Dickinson off the shelf and pointed to a single line at random.
“G-d Does it Every Day.”
Perfect.
Kimberly Brooks is a contemporary American artist and author. Her work integrates landscape, figuration and abstraction to address subjects of history, memory and identity. Her work has been exhibited and featured internationality. Her exhibition at the Museum of Art and History is up until Dec. 26.
