Monday, March 16, 2015

Natalie Frisinger

Advanced Painting

Project 1 Statement

In the pursuit of spirituality in art, my series was powerfully influenced by certain implications of Jakob Böhme’s theological exploration on the nature of man’s existence. Though his orthodox Christian beliefs have a heavy hand in his hypotheses, Böhme compellingly argues the importance of art and the nature of colors in the purpose of the existence of matter. Utilizing my personal spiritual leanings, which find their roots both in ancient Peruvian and Indian practices, my series utilize the chakra system in the exploration of my subject and my relationship to the subject.
In relation to the exploration of Chakras as energy access points to the physical body, one is thrown into the world of crystals and their ability to carry energies, which mimic the specific vibrations of the respective Chakras. Thus, in the assessment of this specific relationship I selected Vanadinite and Azurite. The former constitutes a crystal that corresponds with the sacral chakra: creativity, desire, emotion, intuition and sexuality. Moreover, the specific crystal enables drive and intuition whilst allowing a connection to the root Chakra (grounding, stability and physical drive). The latter corresponding with the third-eye Chakra represents a tempering of the mind and release of stress and confusion as well as the alleviation of worry and indecision that “lingers in the back of consciousness”. These were selected not only as a representation of the subject but also as a reflection of the self through the subject.
The smaller pieces are examinations of the implications of these respective crystals through color.  Here is expressed a more specific assessment of the form of these crystals both in their refined and unrefined states. The medium used for these smaller-scaled pieces was carefully selected in an attempt to explore the interaction of light within the crystal forms. Thus relating back to Böhme’s theories, which contemplated the polarity of the world as the division between good and evil, light and dark; that light was humanity’s only glimpse of the divine and that art should be humanity’s way back to this divinity. This constitutes a significant element in my spiritual investigation, that through the self, our connection to others and artistic expression, one finds an exploration of the divine.
In sharp contrast to this, the larger piece discards the specific form of the crystals while attempting, through comparable color schemes, to capture the essence of the crystal without specifically replicating its form. The molten, water-like arrangement that fills the human form attempts to enhance the sensibility of the expression of the subject’s character (and thus, my reflection in this character). Furthermore, the intersection of light and dark moments in the background (which appear hazy and smoke-like) are an abstract exploration of sage smudging and the cleansing of the body and soul of negativity (whilst also paying homage to Romanticist paintings which explore Böhme’s theories on light). Sage smudging represents the bringing of clear energy, hence attempting to solidify the piece as an exploration of divinity as well as one of personal relationships and the self.





·      Book- The Celestial Property by James Redfield
·      Glenn Brown


No comments:

Post a Comment