A Statement

 

 

The name BEiNG! is more than a moniker. It is the title of the creative daimon with whom I have been communicating for the past six years. The work that (we) produce is conceptual and multimedia in nature, but most often is executed as paintings or illustrations.

 

The most crucial and underlying element which connects all of the work is the symbolic language I have created, called Qorskrit. This is an alphabet of 33 symbol-characters which replace and expand upon the modern english alphabet, and appear frequently in much of the work as hidden messages or graphic elements. Since Qorskrit is essentially a simple replacement cypher, it provides a thin veil from the immediacy of the messages while creating an avenue for interaction and discovery within the oeuvre. Acting as a mirror for the pre-existing symbol-based visual languages of humankind, it is my hope that Qorskrit -- when seen in context with accompanying imagery -- will expose more people to the underlying truths concealed within the esoteric knowledge of all ages.

 

As it can be learned from the whole of art history, symbolism and its interpretation comes in many forms. A simple triangle can represent fire in all its aspects, from the holy aether of creation to the gross element of material disintegration. From great well-springs of symbolic information (including Catholicism, Freemasonry, egyptian hieroglyphics, alchemy and many more ancient civilizations & belief systems) arise many commonalities. The root of these commonalities is a path of Mysteries that many initiates have followed - in a journey towards the understanding thereof. It is from within this shared consciousness of humankind that the subject matter of my work is divined.

 

All conceptual and cryptic high ideals aside, images should always be able to stand on their own. Having never received formal education on technical painting as a craft, the style of the work is self taught and derived from my knowledge of graphic design and illustration. I focus heavily on linework and composition, which I believe is crucial to the stylistic consistency within the otherwise aesthetically disparate works. Besides the aforementioned similarities, the BEiNG! Project allows room to experiment with materials, color relationships, and level of detail ranging from pure abstraction to detailed illumination. This wide range of styles also serves to imply a sort of “alternate universe” with its own art history; one that is self referencing and evolving in parallel to the history of art as it is known today. 

 

From the external BEiNG! I learned the term “POW” art, which references a continuation of the aesthetic values of the Pop art movement. However, instead of making reference to “popular” culture, the work draws subject matter from the complete opposite in the obscure and esoteric. The bright solid colors and bold graphic linework form “flat” compositions that bridge the gap between modern Pop art and illuminations from medieval and early Renaissance periods. Ideally, this instantaneous “POW” of color -- followed by the revelation of a deeper meaning and grander scope -- will encourage the viewer to embark on their own investigation of art-as-spirituality and the mystical power of the act of creation.  

 

In some ways, art is and always has been a mystical endeavor. To look into the plane of the imagination and form a vision of what is “seen” in the physical world, to my mind, constitutes magic. The whole goal of the BEiNG! Project is found therein. If the work can reach even one viewer and inspire in them the awe and mystery of the act of creation -- or open their eyes to the wealth of humankind's symbology -- then I would deem this project a success.