Negative Images

One of the collage techniques I have relied on is the juxtposition of color images with black-and-white ones. A subset of this technique is to take an old engraving and cut out the images of people, leaving only the outlines. The missing images are then replaced with abstract colored ones to create a surrealistic effect. Three pieces utilizing this technique are shown below:

Wandering Stars (2010) (22 1/2" x 14 1/2")

The topic here is the basically the same as in my previous posting: false teachers who infiltrate the church. Jude treats this subject in verses 8-16 of his short letter, much of which has the same language as in 2 Peter. Scholars are still arguing as to which author borrowed his language from the other.

Lost and Found (2006) (18" x 14")

Minimal use of the technique described above is used in this piece illustrating various parables of Christ (see Matthew 13, 18; Luke 15) involving lost or hidden items which are then found.

Watch (2006) (18" x 14")

This is a companion piece to the previous one, again related to teachings of Christ. However, this collage concerns his sermon involving the future found in Matthew 24 and 25. His admonition for his followers to "watch" has been widely misinterpreted throughout the years as teaching that a Christian should keep track of unfolding events so as to know when the last days are approaching. He is more likely saying that we should always be spiritual alert and not be caught unprepared since the Second Coming will arrive with no advance notice.

2 Peter 2-3

Some of my pieces are inspired by the physical materials I come across. One such example is shown below.

Peter Observes (2005) (19" x 12")

A friend had a craft hobby of cutting out letters from a sheet of plywood with a jigsaw to use in various projects. He gave me the leftover plywood scraps, leading to the idea for the piece shown above. The content is based on 2 Peter 2-3 in which the author rants and rails against the false prophets who have invaded the church (not unlike today).  In the process he references the Flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The technique was created by pasting appropriate pictures on a piece of hardboard, gluing the pieces of plywood at the junction lines between the pictures, and then painting the plywood with acrylics so as to blend in with the adjacent collages. The result, which is a little hard to see in the photo, is to create a three-dimensional effect which confuses the eye. This technique relates well to the references in Peter to "irrational creatures, mere creatures of instinct," "unsteady souls," "gone astray," and "driven by a storm."

Jeremiah 29

In the 29th chapter of Jeremiah, the prophet writes a letter to the Jews in Babylonian captivity urging them to settle in their land of exile, build houses, plant gardens, marry and have children. He finally urges them to pray for the welfare of the alien land they are living in. Since we are all aliens in this world, Jeremiah's advice would seem to apply equally to us today.

Letter from a Prophet (2005)

This assemblage was constructed in a wooden box that once contained drafting equipment. The diverse materials used include two leather postcards, several advertising cards, doll parts and assorted glass and metal pieces. Each of these included elements originally related directly to the passage in Jeremiah. However, today I can say with Robert Frost when he was asked about the symbolism of one of his lines of poetry, "Once only God and I knew what it meant; today only God knows."

Small Boxes

Working on a small scale is sometimes just as satisfying as creating gigantic pieces, even though that goes against the current trend in art. Below are two examples of collage/constructions enclosed in wooden boxes no larger than 6" x 6" x 2" when closed.

Crossing (2009)

Crossing (detail)

This construction made from cabinet hardware and corks commemorates a landmark event in  Jewish history, the crossing of the Jordan River led by Joshua.

                                                         


                                                          Not a Game Anymore (2009)

The piece above is based on a somewhat more obscure event from Judges 14. Samson attends a bachelor party with 30 of his fiancee's friends and poses an obscure riddle to them: "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?"  They guess the riddle only by coaxing it out of Samson's woman. In his anger, Samson kills 30 men of the town.  You will have to read Judges 14 to find out the secret of the riddle and the reason the men are drinking with a cow in my collage. 

The title refers to the tragic events that end the story and to the fact that it is constructed inside a portable backgammon game board. 

Exodus

One of my most ambitious, and only partially successful, art projects was to construct a closed wooden box picturing the events of the Exodus with collages on all six sides. In addition, the internal workings of the box would be a three-tier maze representing the wanderings in the wilderness. Successful navigation of the maze by a steel ball (dropped into the box through a hole in the top) could only be accomplished by knowing the Biblical story and studying the pattern of divisions in the colleged sides. Any false move in tilting the box would result in the ball dropping out through a hole in the bottom.

Unfortunately, the only one in the family (including myself) who was able to navigate the maze was my youngest daughter--by violently shaking the box until the ball magically exited where it was supposed to. Nevertheless, as an unusual piece of art it is still of some interest.  A few of the panels are shown below:

Exodus, top (1989)

The life of Moses from birth to the burning bush.

Exodus, side A

The Ten Plagues

Exodus, side B

In the Wilderness

Balaam and Simon Magus

The Old and New Testaments contain cautionary tales regarding those who, respectively, use a religious position to gain money or use money to gain a religious position.  Both of these problems continue to plague today's churches, so it is a good time to be reminded of the stories of Balaam and Simon Magus.

Two Asses (2005) (24" x 18")

The story of the prophet Balaam is given in Numbers 22-24. He was paid by the enemies of Israel to prophecy against that nation, but everytime he tried, only blessings came out of his mouth. It took his jackass to alert him to the spiritual forces he was trying to work against.

It is probably difficult to see all of the details in the above collage picturing these events--and impossible to discern the fact that certain of the rectangular units (spelling out Balaam's name in Hebrew) have a higher luster than the other units.

The Power Called Great (2005) (24" x 18")

The above companion piece takes as its theme the story of Simon Magus found in Acts 8. Simon noted that the apostles had been given the power to impart the Holy Spirit to believers through the laying-on of hands. He then offered money to Peter if he would share that power with him. He was naturally denounced by Peter, who replied (in the vernacular), "You and your silver can go to Hell!"

Simon's name (in Greek) is highlighted through use of a glossier finish on certain of the rectangular units.The same basic technique is used in both collages-- small collaged canvases are glued to a larger canvas background colored with acrylics.

The Witch of Endor

Last Desperate Measure (2010) (8" x 10" x 1.5")

I Samuel 28 tells the story of King Saul's attempt to find spiritual guidance after God has cut off all communication with him. This three-layered collage picturing the incident was created by gluing two wood-framed canvases front to back, cutting an oval out of the front canvas, cutting strips out of the second canvas, and gluing another collaged canvas sheet on the back of the second framed canvas.

The foremost layer pictures Saul's futile attempts to reach God by the way of dreams or use of the urim and thummin. The middle canvas shows the Witch of Endor who acts as a conduit for the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel, pictured on the third layer.

There is continuing controversy regarding the vision of Samuel and whether God or demonic forces conjured him up. However, the story does serve as a cautionary tale regarding mankind's desperate attempts to find meaning and guidance in the world apart from God. 

I Corinthians 15:32 and Acts 19:23-41

After a long absence from this blog site, I am ready to resume some new postings.

Paul makes an unusual statement in I Corinthians 15:32 that he "fought with wild animals at Ephesus." This conjures up images of Christian martyrs in the Colosseum of Rome under Nero's rule. However, if one consults the Book of Acts for events during Paul's stay in Ephesus, it becomes fairly obvious that he is speaking figuratively of his battles with opponents of the Word such as Demetrius the silversmith (Acts 19:23-41).

These New Testament passages formed the inspiration for the piece below, a 15" x 10" collage in a wooden cigar box:

Metaphorical Monsters (2009)

I Corinthians 3:10-15 and John 14

With scraps of wooden molding left over from a redecoration project, I constructed several small "houses" that were subsequently covered with paper. These were then incorporated into two companion collages on hardwood, both dealing with Biblical references to houses in the context of the afterlife.



Parable of the Three Little Pigs (2010) (20" x 20")

Paul explains in I Corinthians 3:10-15 the fate of one's works in the afterlife in terms very reminiscent of the story of the three little pigs. Deeds on earth may or may not survive judgment fire depending on the foundation on which they were built, but believers will be saved nevertheless.



My Father's House (2010) (24 1/2" x 18")

When Jesus' disciples express concern regarding their future fate, he reassures them that there will be abundant room prepared for them in heaven (John 14:1-7).



Spiritual Possession

The Bible clearly teaches that human beings are capable of being influenced by spiritual entities, despite the fact that this contention runs counter to current sensibilities.  The paired 12" x 16" collages on canvas shown below illustrate two such examples, but they are quite different in nature.

Matthew 8 recounts the exorcism of demons from a possessed man while Acts 2 tells the story of Pentacost in which the Holy Spirit descended on the congregation of believers. These two events remind me of Jesus' story in Matt. 12:43-45 about an unclean spirit leaving a person but not being replaced by anything better. The spirit returns with seven other evil spirits so that "the last state of that person is worse than the first." Basically, in the words of Bob Dylan, "You've gotta serve somebody."



Legion (2005)

Peter Stood Up (2005)

Ezekiel 4-5

The Book of Ezekiel is well known for its bizarre visions. But even more bizarre, at least to those around him, was the behavior of the prophet himself when he was asked by God to act out various prophecies for the people of Israel. These included: going around with his hands bound with ropes, enacting the siege of a toy city, lying on one side for 390 days and the other side for 40 days, baking his bread on cow dung and measuring it before eating, cutting all the hair on his head and dividing it into three equal parts, and digging a hole in a wall and pushing all his belongings through it.

Most of these acted-out prophecies occur in chapters 4 and 5 of Ezekiel and are pictured in two companion collages made in 2009:


Strangely Normal (2' x 1')



Normally Strange (2' x 1')

Sodom and Gomorrah

The divine judgement on these two cities is described in Genesis in terms that appear to refer to a volcanic eruption. They thus presage a similar event occurring in 79 AD: the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum caused by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

The two canvases shown below were created by surrounding "before and after" collages, respectively, picturing the Genesis story with images from frescoes uncovered from the remains of the Roman cities.  Paper-mache and acrylic were used to blend the collaged elements together.

Entrance (2006, 3" x 2")

Lot greets the angels as they enter the city.



Departure (2006, 3' x 2')

Lot and his family flee Sodom.

Parable of The Prodigal Son

A better name for the so-called Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) would be the Parable of the Two Sons, both of whom have problems relating to their father. Verses 11-24 deal with the younger son while verses 25-32 are about the older son. Both sections end on the same note: "this son of mine (brother of yours) was dead and is alive again; he was lost and has been found." The only difference is that verse 24 appends the words: "And they began to celebrate" whereas the end of the parable leaves it up in the air as to whether the older son will join in the celebration.  This open ending causes us to contemplate our own relationship to God and our siblings in Christ.

This story-telling technique used by Jesus mirrors exactly the abrupt ending of the Book of Jonah in which the prophet is chastized by God for his parochial attitude but we are left hanging as to the nature of Jonah's final response.

The central figure in this story is, of course, the loving father who extends his grace to both errant children.
Each of the three panels of the 2010 triptych shown below features one of the actors in the parable.

Taker (17" x 17"collage on masonite)

Giver (24" x 13" collage on masonite)

Earner (17" x 17" collage on masonite)

James 5

The last chapter of James, especially verses 7-20, serve as a wrapping-up of themes discussed earlier.



Hard Evidence (James 5:1-6)

James rails at the rich who have fattened themselves at the expense of the poor. He tells them they have only prepared themselves for the coming day of slaughter.

Patience (James 5:7-11)

Black and White (James 5:12)

"Let your 'Yes' be yes and your 'No' be no."

Proper Responses (James 5:13-18)

 "Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise."

Cover-Up (James 5:19-20)



James 4

Perfect Mayhem (James 4:1-10)

James 4 begins with a description of the "conflicts and disputes....disputes and conflicts" that are occurring within the church. The only solution, as he outlines it, is a humbling before the Lord.

One and Only (James 4:11-12)

One who sits in judgment against others, also sits in judgment against the law.

Misty (James 4:13-17)

In our eagerness to make more money, it sometimes forgotten that we are but a mist that will soon vanish along with our worldly wealth.



James 3

Two main subjects are covered by James in this short chapter, both dealing with contrasts.

The first twelve verses discuss the role of the almost untameable tongue, which can be used to either bless God or curse our fellow beings. James employs a wealth of imagery to make his point including horses, ships, forest fires, wild animals and fruit trees.

The remainder of the chapter contrasts the "wisdom" from below (which evidences itself in envy and malice) with that from above which yields fruit such as peace, gentleness and mercy toward others.

Out of Control (James 3:1-12)

Up and Down (James 3:13-18)



James 2

The Second Chapter of James' Epistle introduces his teachings regarding the relationship between faith and works. These verses have been misunderstood from the time of Martin Luther to be in contradiction with the teachings of Paul, especially as found in Galatians. However, even a brief glance at the relative contexts of these two books shows that each author defined his key terminology (faith, works, law) in quite different ways.

Briefly, Paul uses the word "faith" to include an active working out of its implications in our lives; James defines the word as mere intellectual assent.  Similarly, the two utilize the word "works" differently. Thus, Paul defines it as strict keeping of the Old Testament ceremonial laws and customs while for James it is equivalent to the two great commandments to love God and to love your neighbor.

Cross of Gold (James 2:1-7)

Transgressors (James 2:8-13)

Faith is a Verb (James 2:14-26)

James 1

During 2009-2010 I created a series of collages on 9" x 12" paper illustrating all of the Epistle of James. This book is as close as the New Testament gets to the type of wisdom literature found in the Book of Proverbs. The author treats a number of subjects in quick succession utilizing vivid imagery, which lends itself nicely to the type of semi-surrealist style that I favor.

Images for the first chapter of James are shown below:

To the Tribes (James 1:1)

Topsy-Turvy Teaching (James 1:2-4)

Wavering (James 1:5-8)

Ups and Downs (James 1:9-11)

Death's Life Cycle (James 1:12-16)

Shadowless (James 1:17-18)

His Master's Voice (James 1:19-21)

Amnesia (James 1:22-25)

Pure Religion (James 1:26-27)

St. Peter and St. Paul

I created two matching 11" x 14" visual homages to these giants of the Christian faith using acrylics, collage and metal foil on canvas. Each piece combines images reminiscent of the beginning and end of their respective careers.

Black Icon: St. Peter (2005)

This piece shows the young fisherman who later becomes a true fisher of men, especially at the Day of Pentacost.
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Gold Icon: St. Paul (2005)

The blind Saul receiving basic Christian instruction from Ananias soon after his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus is contrasted with the shipwrecked Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, being preserved from a dangerous snake bite on the Island of Malta while on his way to Rome, where he will ultimately be executed.