Open Secrets.
Is a theme that explores the oxymoron of something being hidden, but then at the same time as visible as it is hidden. A concept developed from the oxymoron of an ''open secret.'' This concept has connections to the juxtaposition of the spiritual and the natural; the beauty of the spiritual being only seen by seeing beyond the natural. The Holy Spirit of God breathing through the very light of Christ, is the air and light of Heaven, but in other realms because of Sin bringing separation from Christ, the light of Christ may not be present in all realms such as, outer darkness for example, were lost souls who reject Christ will go as separated from Him, and the natural realm; even though the bible says, 'the whole Earth is full of God's glory,' in the sense of the creation itself being such a miracle before our eyes, but it is now vacant of light and decaying through sin. However, Christ through His Divine nature, can bring His eyes and presence anywhere He desires at the same time with the Holy Spirit, they work together in coherence. The creation and its inhabitants once brought to life through the breath of life and all came from the light of Christ (not yet embodying the light of Christ, for this is only available through the cross), once had a clothing or a ''canopy'' of the Glory of God, now through the fall (Adam's sin) this canopy of glory has dissipated; leaving creation vacant of God's glory and decaying.
The purpose of every human being is to be a lamp of the light of Christ's life and vessel of God's Holy Spirit in the natural world by being Born Again. In the time of Genesis, no human or creature had the full Glory of the Light of Christ around them or within them, which comes from being born again through the cross for Salvation. There was a clothing of Glory but not the full Glory of Christ from a birth from Christ at the cross when He came and rose again. This clothing brought peace and goodness none the less, but is now left shattered and broken on the ground, leaving creation vacant of glory. Now darkness, and the things of darkness are free to roam. John 3:3 ''Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.''
The vain thoughts of men are to return to the glory of Eden, the goodness it once had and the glory that was there. However, the mind of the superior Master of the universe had the divine nature already on the horizon even before all creation as a remedy and balm, with which to 'anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.' Rev 3:18. To come to the lost race of Adam when the world in its vacancy reached its darkness peak, and they murdered God's Son on a cross. God's Divine wisdom and revelation, causing now the Divine full Glory of Christ to be born within all those who believe on Him through this murdered One. The Glory, goodness, and peace that can breakout into the natural world and in our relationship with God now far surpasses the Glory, goodness and peace of Eden. 1 Corin 2:9 ''But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.'' There is prophesied to be a time where there will be peace on Earth before the end of all things leading to the New Creation (New Heaven and Earth) Isiah 11:6-9 ''The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.'' Appearing through the Holy Spirit, as the Millennial Reign. where His faithful disciples those who called on His name in the age of grace after being raptured before the tribulation, shall return with Him and set up His Millennial Kingdom upon the Earth Gen 41:10-12 ''The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.'' All the kingdoms of the world being established after the fall or the global flood, after cross; the entire world system the grew by God's will shall given to Christ, He will be recognized as the only King to reign by all flesh; Christ is Shiloh the true proposed pre-destined place from eternity where all faithful people shall gather for all eternity. Christ is right now risen above all things, in control of the whole world and holding the universe together. He is right now seated waiting to Return with His disciples and fulfill all things needed to form the new Heaven and New Earth; all of which we can say is done, because of when He said ''it is finished'' on the cross; nothing and know-one can come against the completion of His Kingdom and reign. During the thousand year Millennial Reign, the will seen to experience peace on Earth for a period of time, like that which was in Eden before the fall. The Lion shall lay with the lamb again, where there is no need for animals to kill each other, no violence of the fallen world. This was the moral glory of Eden before Adam broke the one command from God and that peace shattered on the ground. However, this peace is not being restored to mankind, this peace is forever shattered on the ground; we now always look before us to the light and peace that shall break out upon the Earth through the Returning Son of God with the Born Again children. The peace that was pre-destined before creation to be the provision after Lucifer brought in the corruption that shifted God's view of eternity and of corse always in the father's heart that He would bring forth His eternal Son from His bossom to save a lost generation who have hearts and souls. Something Angels cannot embody or understand. This light is 'the light of men' and the full glory of Christ within, which the world has never known and only through the cross can we come to know.
The natural world is now still vacant of God's Glory, we can now become the vessels for full Glory of Christ's Light. In fact, Christ is so Divine in nature, equal to God the Father in life, essence and nature. He could break His light through every separation of darkness in a single Word of His lips. However, in an eternal covenant with His Father and supplication to His will, Christ is doing this through the vessels who believe on Him in grace. This eternal covenant is grace, because it was a covenant made between the Father and the Son in eternity, where the Lamb was slain when He was brought forth and then shed that blood over the natural world, staining it, so that we all can be cleansed and saved by the blood being applied to our hearts through believing. Revelation 13:8 ''And all who are dwelling on the earth will worship him (the beast: Satan's creation), whose names have not been written in the Scroll of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.'' 2 Corinthians 4:7 ''But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.'' And yet is seen, received and dispersed into the natural through the door of our hearts. The fullness of times rendering all the natural to be free from decay so that the world, natural and spiritual realm can be made new in the spiritual life of Christ which are the materials of Heaven itself. Romans 8:19 ''For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the Son's of God.'' The full Glory of Christ within, far surpasses the clothing of glory creation once had; so we can now become lamps in this decaying world.
Many developmental ideas and concepts can stem from this eternal truth such as, old layers being taken away for what is hidden beneath to shine through; turning decay into something beautiful; restoring old, used and abandoned materials, into something new and beautiful. Exploring how suffering exists in the world with all it's pain and ugliness as a result of Sin and the fall of man in the garden of Eden, but now remains and exists in the World by the will of God; if not why wouldn't God just simply eradicate it? The truth is within the pain and suffering itself, is an innate beauty hidden within for us seek out and have inborn inside our souls. Without pain and suffering within the world how could humility be inwardly broken to cry out towards Jesus himself, mankind could never humble themselves before their creator and never accept the One whom He gave to the world to be the light that shines from admits the suffering and accept Him as our only way through the suffering in the world. Exodus 10:22-23 ''So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.'' Only Jesus Christ the only one who is the exact likeness of His farther 'God' by coming forth from His very bosom; then becoming flesh like us, to suffer with us and feel our pain with us. No other religion can claim this, Christ is not a religion. We can turn to Jesus in our suffering and He will manifest His beauty and passionate love for us within the darkness and pain. There is hidden beauty in suffering, pain and trauma, which links to the Oxymoron of an 'open secret.' Again exploring this as a concept with fine art mediums and materials, in a autobiographical and conceptual sense.
A work with autobiographical elements, with my hand submerged in water and shimmering gold peering through stitched wounds. Metaphorically shows me scars from the past of self harming now shine through with golden divine beauty. Also using disposed cargo netting and turning it into rippling water; old to new. The hidden secret is the blood of our past wounds/traumas turn into gold when we don't just focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen in the omniscient heavens.
An initial sketch sketch towards the concept of using the image of a wheel chair and the tree that's divine in nature; they become a fascinating juxtaposition. It's a simple contrast between the grey-scale of the charcoal and the gleaming composition, but once closely observed the layers of sketching and mark making become a visualy sensory surface; it becomes a bridge between simplicity and what becomes visually and aesthetically tactile, edging closely towards the spiritual.
An experimental watercolour painting that continues the of a juxtaposition between the wheelchair and the transcendental tree. The composition is successful with the minimal pale background and the lucid flow of tone; it gives the surface an aura of light that comes from beneath the surface that glows with almost an unknown origin. The form itself has room for much development, into sculptural and installation forms.
Another sketch towards the concept of the symbolic use of the wheel chair and the sacred in style tree. The white is used to be sensual and seductive in contrast to the drained dark background. The use of un-reachable light that comes the distant unattainable background and the pure sensual white, is a provocative mix to explore.
The Yggdrasil is a Scandinavian tree that has it's roots in hela or death, whose branches bearing perennial leaves and fruits, stretch into the Empyrean abodes. Very much like the story of the tree of life, which is hidden and preserved from mankind, having now access to the lost glory by going from death to life and from the old to the new. Using the image of a wheel chair to make suggestions towards death and the natural; then with a golden tree of life reaching to the heavens.
Using the colour of Gold because unlike the primary and secondary colours, the origins of Gold are almost sacred as to it's origins, and has a way of filling a space with un-reachable beauty without any effort. The symbolic use of the Wheel-chair and arcane tree is still a successful form in communicating the meaning of the work; it's deep, emotional and also seductive. The contrast between the flaming golden tree and the charcoal background creates that provocative alluring seduction.
Using the same notion of the sensual seduction of pure white, the deterioration of the natural and the and the tree that's full of divine life. A life that grows with no end, being covered in seductive beauty, all through the natural dust of the body. Using the body as the form with the tree instead of the Wheel-chair, creates a different mood; the body is lifeless and vacant, but still sensually beautiful with the pure white covering.
Using gold in the background to fill the surrounding space with the divine beauty that gold creates. The background is a gold film with a reflective surface. It creates notions of the work of Isa Genzken , with her Assemblage type works of contemporary ruins; building up the composition with found materials to relate to Post-modern culture. It's an interesting contrast, once the form is reflected into the gold, between modernism and postmodernism; to bring forth the spiritual between the two.
Using the concept of the 'old that has become new.' The old that has gone and been washed away for the new to come; as we look to the future looking on from the past to a new horizon. As the symbolic dove, so gentle in its movement, gently guides us and looks on for us. It becomes our new eyes and ears.
