Sacred Voices
A Contemplative Exhibit Offering Fresh Perspective on World Religions featuring artwork by “People of the Book”. A companion exhibition to Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible, it showcases contemporary works in painting, sculpture and more by artists from around the country, inspired by the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith. Imagery and artistry combine to offer fresh perspectives on religious texts, narratives and traditions of all people.
Canton Museum of Art
Canton Ohio
Dec 5, 2013 – Mar 2, 2014
Reception Thursday, Dec 5, 2013
Sacred Voices unite in this contemplative exhibit featuring artwork by “People of the Book.” It showcases contemporary works in painting, sculpture and more by artists from around the country, inspired by the Christian, Jewish, or Muslim faith. Imagery and artistry combine to offer fresh perspectives on religious texts, narratives and traditions of all people.
Throughout much of history, art and religion have been closely intertwined. Sculptures, frescos, mosaics, calligraphy, stained glass, illuminations, paintings, and even architecture have communicated, preserved, and passed down religious beliefs. This convention continues today in a context of increasing freedom for personal expression and interpretation. For some artists, the creative process itself becomes an act of faithfulness.
The Sacred Voices exhibit examines how faith can inform and inspire artists in their work, whether their work is symbolic, pictorial, or textual in nature. It further explores how present-day artwork can lead audiences to ponder God, religious themes, venerated traditions, or spiritual insights.
A diverse selection of media — including calligraphy, wood and metal, digital media, watercolor, photography, oil, block prints, plaster, mixed media, mineral pigments and gold, acrylic, gouache and Japanese stone ink, jewelry, ceramics, and video installation–are incorporated into the exhibit. Over 30 artists are represented, hailing from Australia, Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
I invite you to look closely at the artwork and experience mystery. It is my hope that this exhibit will provide a thought-provoking arena for dialogue about faith, art, and the relationship between the two.
Michele Waalkes
Guest Curator
My icons are imbued with specific meanings and associations because they are based on ancient prototypes. For viewers familiar with the Byzantine tradition they are immediately recognizable. For those that aren’t, I aim to draw them in to delight in strong compositions, rich color, pattern and other worldly sense. Icons have been painted with rigid precepts for centuries. I have studied them and aim to embrace the tradition, while not ignoring innovations in vocabulary or technique. My pieces have evolved to embrace modern materials as well as an ambiguity which is inherent because of the use of abstraction. In doing this, I work to create art which is of it’s time but informed by the past. We cannot escape our history and it can help elucidate our present. The compositions in my icons are simplified to show key figures, with shapes that evoke relationships that are universal. Focus on these key elements make it possible to understand the subject without being caught up in superfluous or historical details, often forgotten by modern viewers, and thus allowing the observer to embrace the icons primary intent.
c. saj