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Show unites art and worship
Spirituality imbues the works of five artists who incorporate color and form to interpret humanity's ties to the transcendent.
By BRANDY STARK
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 26, 2001
In the Eye of the Metamorphosis by Patricia Bowers
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Scholar Joseph Campbell once said that art and religion are derived from the same mysterious source. This idea is shown in "from a source of one," a five-artist show of works that fascinate the eye and mind alike.
Patricia M. Bowers is both a participant and the curator of the show. When offered the six-week show, Bowers had the choice either to present alone or bring others in to show with her. She chose the latter, selecting artists whose works, she felt, stressed a sense of spirituality.
Bowers' own works appear to reflect her sense of the mystical. Many have a mandalalike pattern, with abstract figures, repeating circles and religious symbols. Her artistic skill encompasses a wide variety of images, from the shockingly bright In the Eye of Metamorphosis, which gives a vivid impression of energy, to the more muted earth tones in the cloth and paint mixed-media piece The Creator.
Theresa Anne Beaumont's study of traditional sacred arts is clearly reflected in her works. In Vehicle of Light in Sacred Color, Beaumont combines several styles, using bright colors and sharp abstract shapes in the top half of the painting and wavelike earth tones, shapeless and flowing, in the lower half. This work, like others in her series, includes semiprecious stones, which add depth to the overall presentation.
The third participant, known only as Imsara, is both author and artist. Like the others, her works are highly abstract. In Rebirth and Renewal, the eye sees textured colors layered upon one another, color and image mingling.
Candace Shepard's "Heart" series, though small (each canvas is approximately 6 inches high), is intricately patterned. The hearts she presents elicit responses from calm to excited, distant to sensual.
C. Aiuwitu Muhsin Nduo offers the only three-dimensional art in the show. He works with fabrics and other natural materials to create his series of "Ancient Celestial Medicine Folk Art, Dolls of Enlightenment." Nduo derives his inspiration from ancient Zimbabwe symbolism for the dolls, which are meant to be inspirational and to remind the viewer of a higher calling.
The Octagon Arts Center is part of the Unitarian Universalists building, which suits Revered Abhi Janamanchi just fine.
"Art is an expression of the spirit. Who you are inspires art and how the art is interpreted. Art, like religion, is about deriving personal meaning into life, which evolves throughout a lifetime. In this way, art and religion aspire towards common goals."
PREVIEW
"from a source of one" at the Octagon Arts Center, Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater, 2470 Nursery Road. Through May 16. 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Free. Call (727) 531-7704.
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