03/13/2024
Long story shortā¦
About a year ago my mom was out walking her dog when she happened to come across a fella in the neighborhood she somehow hadnāt yet met. Harry Madsen, retired teacher/department director at Wall High School, varsity ball coach, qualified submariner and fire technician in the Navy - but most importantly a loving, but recently widowed, husband to Lorraine M. Madsen.
To say Harry and my mom became fast friends is an understatement. Harry has been swiftly adopted into our āsmall but mightyā family!
We were diggingā in on some breakfast at Robinās Nest Belmar to celebrate Harryās 91st birthday when I first heard Lorraineās story.
After retiring in the 1990ās Lorraine made her first impression in the New Jersey art scene with her renderings of all the shore has to offer - varied beach scenes, a clipper ship on a stormy sea, seagulls and all of the things that, as someone whoās lived along the Jersey Shore most of their life, has been saturated with ad nauseam - however, Iāve been amazed by the detail and the essence of the shore that had been crafted into her paintings, just as the many patrons of her work had been. She produced commissioned works for offices, restaurants, private collectors and contributed to countless exhibits. She had also been known to bless a stranger, who happened to be admiring her capturing to the canvas a scene they had both been sharing, with that very painting.
Harry recounts the feeling of getting hit with a brick when they got the news she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She was given 5 years at best.
Then began the treatments.
Anyone whoās been through this or has been close to someone who has knows how dramatically life shifting this is. And, as if spirits arenāt truly tested in these times, where everything seems at a loss, the treatments were dosed so high she lost all sensation in her limbs.
She miraculously began to turn a corner and the cancer seemed to be in remission, but the permanent nerve damage stole the ability to exercise the fine detail that characterized her works. For an artist to no longer create is a hell that not many can truly imagine, but Lorraine didnāt complain or wallow in self pity - but life was changed forever.
Even once the treatments were finished, it took some major convincing by Harry and her art buddy Susan to get Lorraine to uninterestedly agree to go along to the Guild in Shrewsbury for a class in abstract art.
But, she did. Life, was again, changed forever - rebirthed was the freedom of artistic expression. Liberated from that hell the nerve damage once relegated her to, a new body of work exploded from Lorraine.
A body of work that initially left me speechless.
For now, Iāll hold my comments on these works, as they so potently speak for themselves - but Harry will tell you from experience - I will go on and on about this collection for hours!
But really, the use of colorā¦ and the forms.. thereās multiple stories in each piece..
After a death sentence of cancer was imposed upon her in the year 2000, Lorraine went on to live 21 colorful years.
A few days after his birthday I dropped by Harryās home to sit and chat.
We talked baseball, politics, local history and of course Lorraine.
The conversation took a turn as he began to speak of his own mortality.
The developing tears werenāt sprung forth from a place sorrow or fear around his own death, but the potential fate of Lorraineās work when he is no longer here to steward them - expressing an ultimate fear of them in a landfill.
Harry, his wifeās story and the bodies of work she left ineffably touched the rest of my family. Lorraineās compositions were the impetus for my girlfriend Brianna exploring the realm of abstract art - and iykyk, her first piece came out very inspired.
I am thrilled to share that Lorraineās works will be featured in a few upcoming shows at the Belmar Arts Council.
1.) Embracing Freedom
opening 3/16/2024 3-5pm
The artists in the show will speak around 4pm, with Harry speaking in honor of his beloved Lorraine
2.) Lorraine M. Madsen exhibit
April 8-12 more info TBA
3.) Surf
opening August 3rd 3-5pm
Itās wild to me that the two shows that were already in the books had been titled Surf and Freedom, each of which truly embodied the two major themes of her works.
A big shout out to Wendy Green and Belmar Arts for helping make this effort to share this art a reality.
