This piece is the most personal I have done so far. I had a very clear idea in mind when I created it, and it has a lot to do with my own personal beliefs. It’s an interesting phenomenon that when we share our convictions, those convictions become clearer and in many cases, stronger. I know many will disagree with the beliefs I will share, and it is not my intention to offend, but to hopefully inspire as I share my beliefs in mixed media art.
I believe in absolute truth. The laws of the universe are infinite and eternal, and I believe them to be the laws of God, whether were talking about physics, biology, or morality. I believe that discovering truth is the most important, and difficult, task we can set ourselves, because it requires us to overcome our own prejudices and weaknesses. Truth is not dependent on us. Truth exists outside of us, and despite us. There can be a piece of truth that no one on earth believes- we may even find it foolish or naive, and yet it would still be the truth.
Many of the difficulties facing us is the need to sift through all of history, experience, and culture to find the truth. People and civilizations can bury the truth under layers of philosophies, rituals, opinions, and religious teachings. To dig beneath all these layers is a lofty endeavor, and it is impossible for us to accomplish on our own. We can understand pieces here and there, but there are so many factors to how things were and are, as well as how things work in the world around us and even things beyond this life that we cannot see or prove. Many people have their own varying explanations. But however emphatic someones opinion, it has no bearing on what truth really is. We have to go deeper than our own ideas and opinions if we want to find the truth.
It takes time, effort, humility, patience, and above all it takes the help of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I believe that understanding the laws of God takes an understanding of God as he is, and not as we would make him.
As a human race, our quest to find truth has been never ending and often inspiring. It is also filled with moments where the truth is buried, twisted, and our baser instincts are given full sway. There are also times where anger is generated because certain truths are unknowable to us in our present state of understanding. It is impossible for us to see how everything fits together to form a complete whole, and many will take advantage of that and promote misunderstanding, pride, and anger, usually for
some kind of profit.
The world is a ginormous mix of cultures, languages, religions, laws, etc. Yet we are all deeply connected by the universal truths that surround us. We bury them and overlook them, but they are there, and if we can learn to look past ourselves to try and understand this truth, we can become one people under God, the father of all.
This piece represents the search for truth, and has been a means for me to share my beliefs in mixed media art.
I really tried to put a lot of symbolism in this piece. I started by using brown acrylics to dirty the canvas a little- you can see the drips coming down from the top.
I made “bricks” of text by using excerpts from different books- the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita were my religious texts. I used some Shakespeare, Ibsen and deCervantes for literature, and historical texts from Democracy in America and History of the Roman Empire. I imagined these representing the building blocks of culture through the ages… how we recognize, interpret, and even alter the truth. I used sculptymold underneath my text to lift them off the canvas. More sculptymold was used to create the “gunk” that is covering much of the canvas, and each little quilled piece might be some opinion, weakness, or obstacle that prevents us from discovering truth. I added a few watch gears- I’m sure you know what they represent- and I think they really add to this piece. Throw in a few paint splatters, and you have “Truth”.
Interesting canvas. its great you can achieve that in your artwork.
Very hard to accomplish.
Great thoughts and a very interesting canvas
I like that you are expressing your thoughts onto the canvas. Art always seem to be more meaningful when there is a purpose. More of the artist comes out and it feels more “truthful” and sincere.
I completely agree with you, though I have to say it takes a lot more courage to share when you’ve put part of yourself into it, something I’m coming to appreciate when I see the work of others. Thanks for the confidence boost!