"Nick Was Right: So, Where Are the Strong?" Jeff Young

Jeff Young, Conway, AR
Nick Was Right: So, Where Are the Strong?, 2025
Charcoal, pastel, coffee, and dirt
10 x 8”

In 1974 Nick Lowe wrote the pop song (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding. I first heard the song in 1978, as a college student, when Elvis Costello released his version of the tune. The song has been described as a wake-up call to the strife of the 70s. The driving drums and guitar and Costello's near-yelling of the lyrics seem more relevant to me now, fifty years later.

In my series, Nick Was Right, I was thinking about Lowe's lyrics:

And where is the harmony, sweet harmony?
'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away
Just makes me wanna cry

Using subject matter that I have been working with the last few years like coffee cups, seed pods, and trees, I was wondering if there are things that bind us together. Objects in my work often have dual meanings. My cousins and siblings would hurl horse apples at each other in "battles," and at the same time, each of the fruits has hundreds of seeds to yield future trees. Sweetgum balls can be painful to step on, and at the same time suggest sustenance and rebirth.

Coffee cups can evoke feelings of togetherness and community. These specific coffee cups were made by Helen Phillips, Arkansas artist and teacher. I revered Helen for her ability to work with all her students - no matter their backgrounds - to help them become better potters, artists, and people. And so, in making these works, wondering "is there only pain and hatred and misery," I thought about my friend and colleague. Perhaps we need to sit down with some of Helen's cups and have a cup of coffee.