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| Artifact from Monte Alban |
Coming soon, a book about my art and the sacred sites that have inspired my work over the last 15 years. Art and Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place.
Outside
of Oaxaca lies Monte Albán, an ancient Zapotec site with an impressive complex
of pyramids and an expansive view of the countryside. Here I felt a sense of
spirit, a sense of place. I was entranced by the multitude of stone monuments inscribed with figures
and symbols, a hidden language whose forms interested me more than their
meaning. Back in the studio, I found myself mixing and matching the vertical
stacks of glyphs, circles, dots and wavy lines, and then pairing them with more
feminine symbols such as the vesica
piscis and the spiral. Perhaps it was my little cosmic joke to balance the
yin to the yang, and thus provide a completeness and wholeness to these ancient
images.
Another site that interested me was Mitla, a major religious center
that reached its zenith between 750 and 1521. One can only imagine the rituals,
rites and sacrifices performed by priests in the temple called House of the
Vital Force. But what sets Mitla apart
from other pyramids in Mexico is its intricate mosaic stonework in geometric
designs. Throughout the complex, running
spirals, zig-zags and chevrons embellish tombs, panels and entire walls. The
contrast of the white design work, red earthen walls and blue sky was food for
inspiration, and I created a series of paintings that seemed to capture the
feeling of place, as well as a suite of small prints drawn from photos and
memory. |
| Mitla |
