What makes art spiritual?
My art uses the properties of Light. Light is what makes my art spiritual.
The beauty of nature is inspirational. This constant imersion in nature has spured spiritual observations and thoughts. Secondly, it asks important questions. As a result, I get away from the noise of the digital world. Nature has become my solace. Our studio/home share the natural desert with all of God’s creatures. Quite blessed.
Pandemic and Lock Down
The pandemic forced a two-year lockdown but in the process provided the inspiration for my work. Above all, the lockdown brought focused attention to my work as an artist and to my calling. Connecting at a meaningful level is a gift from God. It begins at the imagination level.
The ethos of the desert blended with spiritual thoughts is my work. Light is both art and science in my pieces. Some say alchemy as well. https://larryjortega.com/about-an-artist/
A five foot snake shed its skin. Agave cactus exhibit their “excited light” properties.
Light is my primary media. I relate to the Light and Space Movement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_and_Space I work with industrial media. Primarily resins and lacquers. An now with rare earth minerals. UV light “ignites” the rare earth minerals used in the sculpture. As a result this type of media allows me to create transluscent layers of a color spectrum that the human eye can see at the low level spectrum. Making the invisible visible has been a constant spiritual theme. Moreover, I think manifistations in the desert wilderness is a magical and adventuresome.
Art is Spiritual
Theology is the systematic study of God. Theology provides a world-view, religion provides the structure. Religious rituals were created to commune with God in some way. Candlelight illuminated the great cathedrals and temples. Darkness was necessary for light. Like Ying/Yang. LIght provides the guidance to the Promised Land. The co-dependancy exists for the explantion of the other. Spiritual teachers of all religious speak about a symbiotic relationship between light and darkness. “The most precious light is the one that visits you in your darkest hour!” Mehmet Murat Ildan. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3164882.Mehmet_Murat_ildan
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Shape Changing
There can be a sense of sacredness in the spectrum of color and how light travels through the work. The work disappears in the darkness.The power of the light is depleted over time. The object becomes something else. A mirage, as a result they look real from a distance but it is only a mirage. Shape-changing is a power, much like camoflauge. I carry that shape-changing theme within my work. https://larryjortega.com/surrender/
Kirk Varnedoe, the former chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, once described the shape change as , “the disembodiment of experience.” Any light is the darkness speaks of hope.
Finally, My latest work is set for a summer exhibit at West Valley Arts for a three person sculpture show titled “Illuminate” https://www.wvcarts.org/exhibitions.html
Additional details to follow.
