{"product_id":"a-hole-in-the-earth-virginia-cohn-parkum-c-unknown","title":"A Hole in the Earth - Virginia Cohn Parkum, c. Unknown","description":"\u003carticle data-turn=\"assistant\" data-scroll-anchor=\"true\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-6\" data-turn-id=\"b4b4e1d1-7f85-478b-ad26-490320b8c976\" dir=\"auto\" class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [\u0026amp;:has([data-writing-block])\u0026gt;*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-2\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-id=\"ba5e0f6d-53ed-43ac-8dd3-bccf9fc79f84\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ctable height=\"1543\" style=\"width: 98.087%;\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"53\" data-start=\"0\"\u003eArtwork Description\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Hole in the Earth*\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-end=\"56\" data-start=\"53\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"88\" data-start=\"56\"\u003eVirginia Cohn Parkum, c. Unknown\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003carticle data-turn=\"assistant\" data-scroll-anchor=\"true\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-6\" data-turn-id=\"b4b4e1d1-7f85-478b-ad26-490320b8c976\" dir=\"auto\" class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [\u0026amp;:has([data-writing-block])\u0026gt;*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\" tabindex=\"-1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-2\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-id=\"ba5e0f6d-53ed-43ac-8dd3-bccf9fc79f84\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word dark markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-5-2\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-1\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-id=\"7dbb9ce6-002d-4a76-84f7-6af88d3e62f9\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word dark markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"79\" data-end=\"464\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"79\" data-end=\"100\"\u003eA Hole in the Earth\u003c\/em\u003e is almost disarmingly simple: a dark field, a bruised violet ring, and at the center a white opening that reads at once as absence and invitation. Yet the longer you stay with it, the less it behaves like an abstract design and the more it feels like a decision—something Parkum has arrived at after all the earlier noise of bodies, history, outrage, and witness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"466\" data-end=\"969\"\u003eThe painting is built around a single gesture that keeps repeating itself: the circular sweep. You can see the hand in the arc—layer on layer, as if the ring had to be worried into existence. The purple isn’t decorative; it has the weight of something worked-through, like a chant or a worn path. The brushwork turns the surrounding black into a kind of atmosphere—less “background” than enveloping darkness, the sort that doesn’t threaten so much as insist: this is where we begin, and where we return.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"971\" data-end=\"1479\"\u003eThe white center is the key and the risk. Parkum leaves it open and unillustrated, refusing the comfort of explanation. That void can be a tunnel, a portal, a grave, a mouth, a moon, a blown-out light. It can also be the most literal reading of the title: earth removed, a cavity made. What’s striking is how cleanly it’s held—like the painting’s entire purpose is to protect that opening from being filled in. The ring acts as both frame and threshold: it contains the hole while also guiding you toward it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1481\" data-end=\"1938\"\u003eIn the context of Parkum’s broader work—so often crowded with strained figures, moral urgency, and the mess of the world—this feels like a last page with no text on it. Not an erasure of what came before, but a release from it. A body of work that has wrestled so much with suffering arrives here at a form that admits a different kind of truth: that there is a point where language, outrage, and even narrative stop being adequate. What remains is passage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1940\" data-end=\"2512\"\u003eThat’s where the signature matters. She signs this one “Gin,” the name she reserved for her spiritual and Buddhist works, and the choice reads as a quiet instruction on how to approach the image. This is not just an optical “hole”; it’s a meditation object—an emblem of emptiness that isn’t nihilism, but clarity. In Buddhist terms, the void is not simply nothingness; it’s the space in which grasping loosens. The painting doesn’t demand that you interpret the opening as death or salvation—it simply holds the possibility of both, and asks you to breathe in front of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2514\" data-end=\"3031\"\u003eThere’s also something unmistakably valedictory in the way the piece is staged. The surrounding darkness is not punctured by multiple lights—only this one. It can be read as a light at the end of the tunnel, yes, but the title keeps tugging it back toward earth: burial, return, the body going down. Parkum lets those meanings coexist without melodrama. If this is a farewell, it’s not sentimental. It is the steadier kind: the acceptance that the passage is real, that the opening is there whether we name it or not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3033\" data-end=\"3496\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eWhat makes \u003cem data-start=\"3044\" data-end=\"3065\"\u003eA Hole in the Earth\u003c\/em\u003e feel like an ending is its refusal to bargain. There are no figures asking to be saved, no scene to decode, no social world to argue with. Just the threshold. The painting sits like a final bow—one gesture, repeated until it becomes calm—suggesting that after everything she has seen and carried, Parkum’s closing act is to offer a way through: a gateway that could be the end, or the beginning, or simply the peace of letting go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n-\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(114, 58, 150);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJonathan Flike\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(114, 58, 150);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003ch6 class=\"markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word dark markdown-new-styling\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e*The title of this work was assigned by Visard Gallery.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCustom Shipping Notice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDue to size, weight, and handling requirements, this painting requires custom shipping. Shipping costs are \u003cstrong data-end=\"238\" data-start=\"222\"\u003enot included\u003c\/strong\u003e at the time of purchase and will be \u003cstrong data-end=\"322\" data-start=\"275\"\u003equoted separately after payment is received\u003c\/strong\u003e. A custom shipping invoice will be issued \u003cstrong data-end=\"393\" data-start=\"365\"\u003ewithin 3–5 business days\u003c\/strong\u003e, based on the artwork’s dimensions, destination, and quotes from our shipping partners. The artwork will \u003cstrong data-end=\"560\" data-start=\"499\"\u003enot ship until the shipping invoice has been paid in full\u003c\/strong\u003e. This process ensures appropriate packing, insurance, and safe delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInformation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStyle: Modern\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSubject: Figure\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYear: Unknown\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSize: 24.00 x 36.00 in (60.96 x 91.44 cm)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMedium: Acrylic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: Canvas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignature: Signed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCirculation status: One of a kind\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrame Status: Framed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"78\" data-end=\"119\"\u003eVintage Condition Disclaimer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"119\" data-end=\"122\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003ePlease note that this item is vintage and shows wear consistent with age, use, and history. Signs of wear may include, but are not limited to, minor surface marks, patina, fading, or imperfections typical of older items. All items are sold\u003cstrong\u003e as-is\u003c\/strong\u003e, which is standard with vintage and pre-owned goods and cannot be returned on the basis of condition. Measurements are approximate. We do our best to describe items accurately; however, condition assessments are subjective. If you would like additional details, images, or clarification before purchasing, please contact us through the contact form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecial Condition Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eN\/A\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance*\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUnknown-2025\u003c\/strong\u003e: Virginia Cohn Parkum\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2025-2026\u003c\/strong\u003e: Cordier Auctions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2026-Present\u003c\/strong\u003e: Visard Gallery\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003e\u003cem\u003e*Provenance and attribution details are based on our best research and are offered in good faith but are not guaranteed. Please contact us through the contact form with any questions prior to purchase.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 100%;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcademic Resources\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/scl\/fo\/fi3m8b0grc277g12czjg1\/ACj1KDAbO13SKyhypI6ysLs?rlkey=s3oqgp11pljzq8n4f1vpahu27\u0026amp;st=6nr74zc0\u0026amp;dl=0\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003eVirginia Cohn Parkum Research \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/scl\/fo\/e8vnon5v9ml9f54zs9r07\/ABFaZjTGHmWxTl5a70xzebc?rlkey=tn14xm7bbvo5o0qwd3td3z5g3\u0026amp;st=yx6wbi6y\u0026amp;dl=0\" style=\"color: rgb(81, 185, 217);\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e","brand":"Visard Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45733857558689,"sku":"ART049","price":4000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0698\/6072\/0801\/files\/ART049_VirginiaCohnParkum_AHoleintheEarth_Full.png?v=1771560949","url":"https:\/\/visardgallery.com\/products\/a-hole-in-the-earth-virginia-cohn-parkum-c-unknown","provider":"Visard Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}