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In the Garden of Sophia (West), 2007, Laminated prints produced on canvas and with digital media. The prints are annealed in insulated safety glass. Each of the nine window panels is 166 x 43 inches and is divided into four horizontal mullions. The technique used here is an innovative process of permanently joining the digital prints with glass into a light fast alternative to stained glass. This is the first of its kind in the United States. The windows are installed in the Wisdom House Chapel, Litchfield, Connecticut.
The Project
In this project I was commissioned to create artworks for the nine windows of the Chapel at Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut.
Wisdom House is a retreat and conference center specializing in the not-for-profit sector promoting interfaith programs in spirituality, education and the arts. Founded at Potiers by Blessed Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort in 1703 the Daughters of Wisdom is now an international order of 2500 women in 23 countries. The mission of this order is to oppose every form of violence, particularly that against women, and to relieve situations wherever there is poverty and injustice, they are engaged in a process of interfaith reflection and action in order to live the justice of wisdom.
The inspiration of this work comes from a reading of The Book of Wisdom, also known as the Wisdom of Solomon. This book is one of the deuterocanonical books of the Bible. Although it is written as if by Solomon, many scholars believe that its language and ideas alike are of Greek origin and it is considered the most classical Greek in the Septaugint. The Septuagint (LXX) is the name commonly given in the West to the Koine text of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh/Old Testament) produced sometime between the third to first century BC. The Septuagint Bible includes additional books of the old Jewish canon beyond those contained in the Hebrew Bible, including the books of the Maccabees.
The window designs are intended to provide a context for reflecting on the order of nature as a reference that is constant and pervading all things. Growth and the struggle for light and space is a condition of all life. Protecting life and creating the conditions for life is the central issue that unifies all belief in God. The designs are therefore intended to provide an island in the sea of faith beyond dogmatic belief systems that fragment the unity of life.
This work combines the most direct and economical of means with that of computer assisted media to make these images. Painting has been digitized and forms a base on which additional production processes have been added. The result is imagery that would never be otherwise possible. The very small has become greatly enlarged. Slight nuances of paint manipulation are amplified and allowed to perform on a monumental scale.
The Book of Wisdoms inspiration to learn both what is secret and what is manifest also prompted me to create an ambient image to animate the room and promote a sense of immersion in the physicality, movement and rhythm of the work.
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In the Garden of Sophia (West), 2007, Laminated prints produced on canvas and with digital media, annealed in insulated safety glass, Each window panel is 166 x 43 inches divided into four mullions
In the Garden of Sophia, Detail (West Window 2 - top mullion) |
