The 7th Sign – Apocalypse is now

“The 7th Sign” 65″ x 23″, silk

The 7th Sign is an interpretation of the famous film theme, published in 1988 – therefore the same title – featuring Demi Moore and Jürgen Prochnow. “… and when there is no soul left the human being will be born without a soul!” The legend of The Guf in the Talmud is about the Hall of Souls, a heavenly and sacred place where souls reside until they are born to flesh.

The story of the film The 7th Sign says that the Guf contains only a finite number of souls. Each is “born” into a living being and the sparrow is the only creature which can see the soul descending to the body. That is why he sings.

But no matter how the film ends, the silk scroll depicts an image that is far more gloomy and is rather linked to an apocalyptical vision. The Guf IS empty, there is no bird song and human beings are born without a soul after the loss of the last innocencent soul (therefore the dead pregnant woman on the ground. The earth is burning after the last war and what is left are only hollow shadows represented in the dark transparent figures without a face.

Actually people in Iran are currently facing a true apocalyptical threat and I wonder how many will come afterwards, somewhere else? It does not seem to end and remains a part of humankind’s history. It is very depressing. I can only pray for the people and the end of all that violence from all sides.

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“In Jewish mysticism, the Chamber of Guf is the Hall of Souls, located in the Seventh Heaven. Every human soul is held to emanate from the Guf. The Talmud teaches that the Messiah will not come until the Guf is emptied of all its souls.

The mystic significance of the Guf is that each person is important and has a unique role which only he, with his unique soul, can fulfill. Even a newborn baby brings the Messiah closer simply by being born.

In keeping with other Jewish legends that envision souls as bird-like, the Guf is sometimes described as a columbarium, or birdhouse. Folklore says sparrows can see the soul’s descent and this explains their joyous chirping.

The peculiar idiom of describing the treasury of souls as a “body” may be connected to the mythic tradition of Adam Kadmon, the primordial man. Adam Kadmon, God’s “original intention” for humanity, was a supernal being, androgynous and macro-cosmic (co-equal in size with the universe). When this Adam sinned, humanity was demoted to the flesh and blood, bifurcated and mortal creatures we are now. According to Kabbalah, every human soul is just a fragment (or fragments) cycling out of the great “world-soul” of Adam Kadmon. Hence, every human soul comes from the “guf [of Adam Kadmon].” (Wikipedia)

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I think the symbolic character of this silk scroll can be applied to many regions of this world where violence, lawlessness and arbitrariness have taken over, where people are killed no matter for what reaon. Whether you look towards Somalia, Sudan/Darfur or now Iran – there is no difference for the people who are the victims of a regime that thinks it can do what it wants. Where has humanity diasppeared to? When does all this suffering end?

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Iceworld (part 2) – Colour Codes and Theories

Before I continue presenting more images of this silk scroll I would like to introduce a couple of interesting websites about colour theory and interpretations:

Color Theory Tutorial by Worqx. This is the website of Janet Lynn Ford, which exclusively covers scientific colour theory in a crisp and understandable manner. She covers

* Color Theory Overview
* Color Basics
* Color Systems
* Color Wheel
* Complementary Colors
* After Images
* Color Combinations
* Color & Contrast
* Itten’s Contrasts
* Proportion & Intensity
* Contrast & Dominance
* Shades & Tints
* Color Studies
* Palette Picker
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I can only recommend this site when you are looking for some basic knowledge.
Another website which digs much deeper into the scientific aspect of  the theory of colour emotion is the website of Li-Chen Ou, World of Colour Emotion, who is “a Research Fellow at the Department of Colour Science, University of Leeds, UK. He has developed a number of quantitative models for colour semantics, colour harmony and colour preference using psycho physical methods” – so it says on his website.

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Now – this is said specifically about the colour blue:

“Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence,  faith, truth, and heaven.

Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect.

Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity.

You can use blue to promote products and services related to cleanliness  (water purification filters, cleaning liquids, vodka), air and sky (airlines, airports, air conditioners), water and sea (sea voyages, mineral water). As opposed to emotionally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue  is linked to consciousness and intellect. Use blue to suggest precision  when promoting high-tech products.

Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted  among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America.

Avoid using blue when promoting food and cooking, because blue suppresses  appetite. When used together with warm colors like yellow or red, blue  can create high-impact, vibrant designs; for example, blue-yellow-red  is a perfect color scheme for a superhero.
Light blue is associated with health, healing,   tranquility, understanding, and softness.

Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness.”
(from the Color Wheel Pro website)

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Interesting isn’t it? But is this valid in general?

“Each colour appeals to the viewer in a way that is characteristic for that colour. This is perceived differently by each person due to his/her different personality and due to the fact that many hues belong to one colour label…
…the perception of a hue can be changed by the colour environment…

Therefore the characteristics, which are assigned to a certain colour, possess a certain spectrum of positive as well as negative aspects. Nevertheless each colour has its own quality and through that its own connotation and impact, which are valid for most people.” (translated from Farbtheorie und Farbgestaltung by Ingrid Crüger, IPSI Fraunhofer Institut)

Another interesting website from Thomas Seilnacht which is about natural scientific work with a special chapter about colours says:

“Blue transfers a person into a dreamlike state, the colour makes you wistful, comforts and leads you to an inner view… Blue is the colour of the mind and tunes you into a positive state”.

The colour blue enjoys great popularity. But there are exceptions. On my own colour palette the earth colours are dominant and colours which emanate much warmth. But this is – as usual – a question of preference and taste, which cannot be reasoned. I strongly doubt that you can deduct certain personal characteristics from colour preferences.

Otherwise this would mean that if I don’t like the colour blue I lack all the virtues as described above? Well – that needs to be discussed….

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The colour blue actually does not belong to my regular colour palette. Though it can be refreshing and inspiring to jump out of the box and try something completely different. This became true specifically with my latest series Reminiscences of acrylic paintings about the Olympic Student Village in Munich I am going to talk about later on.

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(please click on the images for enlargement)

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Here is another very interesting website about the psychology of colour codes – Farbcodes – by Andreas Heck. It says about blue: (translated from German)

“It symbolizes: sympathy, harmony, friendliness, friendship, loyalty, confidence, reliability, desire, coolness, cold, fantasy.

Blue is the colour of distance. A colour appears to be nearer the warmer it is and farther away the cooler it is. Blue creates space, perspective. All colours seem to be bluer in the distance, duller because they are covered by atmospheric layers. Water and air seem to be blue. According to your experience the blue derives from the transparent. The biggest contrast it the earth colour brown, the solid.

Blue is the positive part of the fantasy, utopian ideas are in the distance. But in old German idioms blue was connected with lying. “

The latter is not only totally contra-dictionary to the above mentioned connotations but it  applies to  German language only (to my knowledge):  “das Blaue vom Himmel herunterlügen”  – literally translated “to lie the blue from the sky” which does not make any sense in English at all – it would rather mean “to lie through one’s teeth”. This means that connotations to a colour which exist in one language or country does not necessarily mean the same in another.

On the same website it also says (translated):

“Blue is the complementary colour to orange. Orange is the hottest, blue the coldest colour of the spectrum. Shadows of the sunlight seem to be blue (Cézanne, Van Gogh). Snow shines in blue. Skin becomes blue. Blue is an outdoor colour. Blue is uncomfortable as a room colour (in blue rooms temperatures are always underestimated). Blue in restaurants makes guests look pale and sickly, food with a blue tint looks putrid. Cold blue symbolically is a repellent colour: the colour of insensibility, pride, cruelty.

But blue also means relaxation, silence, peace. Blue is the colour of masculinity (it was red earlier on) and it is the cool, dispassionate virtues: courage, accomplishment, sportsmanship, independence, concentration. It is the main colour of  labour and mind: wisdom, science, accuracy, timeliness.”

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So much about the psychology and theory of colours and back to the blues of the silk scroll.

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If you want to dig deeper into the subject of colour codes and theory you should check out the blogs of Casey Klahn, The Colorist and Katherine Tyrell, Making a Mark. They both write in abundance about everything you need to know about colours.

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Iceworld – a Silk Scroll for the Season (part 1)

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“Iceworld” 79″ x 25″, silk

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This silk scroll was inspired by images from the arctic world with their icebergs and ice caves which form fantastic and unearthly landscapes. The forms which are created by mother nature when the ice is melting make any sculptor go green with envy. And the colour blue gains a completely new signification. Every painter on this world would need to amplify his palette just for all the shades of blue here.

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The amazing turquoise hues in the waters of the artic see seem to invite for a bathing pleasure if they weren’t so damn cold .
Btw – did you know that the crystal clear dark ice of the glaciers and the icebergs that is formed only under immense pressure is called “black ice”?

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Imitating the colours of these landscapes is only partially possible. But at least silk is the perfect material for such a purpose, because paints can flow into one another just as it happens in nature with the colour shades. Also the lucency of silk and paints is perfect for painting such landscapes. More in the next batch of images…

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(continued…)
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Sun – another Silk Scroll about Agates and Interior Design

I thought I’ll bring this one for a change because the weather is awful at the moment. It is dark, awfully wet – it does not stop raining – and creepy cold although it’s above the freezing point. But it is just like those stay-in-the-bed-and-pull-the-blanket-over-your-head-days! Yuck!

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“Sun”
55″ x 23″, silk

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Now – the official title for this silk scroll is Sun. And sunlight is what I would need most at the moment but apparently this won’t happen. So I have to find a compensation, i.e. different colours – like these?

But in order to not make it so drop dead serious there is another name for this – fried egg – but don’t tell anyone – promised?

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The detail pics show again the beading which is a major part of these silk scrolls. The tiny glass beads are the imitation for the crystals you often find in a geode.

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Agates belong to those minerals which display the most variations in their manifestations. Therefore I consider them as an unfailing source for inspiration. And while they appear in very different colour hues their images can be composed in never ending variations.

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These scrolls are representative and abstract at the same time. Isn’t this funny?
The images have been inspired by real agates and are therefore a kind of blown-up imitation. I tried to imitate the crystals with clear glass beads which will reflect the light the same way. I also used mother-of-pearl pigments in order to heighten the gloss of various light parts in order to imitate the creamy white calcite parts you would find in nearly any agate. At the same time the images on the scrolls could be abstract landscapes and you could interpret anything into them.

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These silk scrolls fit into many different interiors. And herewith I am arriving at another part of my interests: interior design.

In my opinion most artists miss a major part of their job: showing where their art could be applied to. It is great fun (maybe that’s not everyone’s goal) for myself to see a painting or any other art work well included in an interieur where it serves as a wonderful compliment to a room’s atmosphere than being rather “only” redundant ornament or even interference, even worse being hung on the bathroom door or the one of the loo! Well – that happens…

I am even convinced, that more people would buy original art when they would get more help in what they should look for. Surprisingly many people have enough money to buy original art but no clue what to do with it. Many people are afraid of listening to their own gut feeling and don’t trust their own judgement. And most people with money do not have the time to find the right piece for their home – therefore they call their interior designer to solve this problem.

Now the problem is up to the interior designer to find the right source for what the patron wants. And this is no easy task either. There are so many offers on the internet, galleries which cannot place their stock in someone’s home either. So where to chose, where to find the right art piece? So isn’t it the artist her/himself who could do the best job?

I rudely claim that most art that is created in this world is for decorative purposes and not for the museum. Nevertheless there is no doubt that art, that has been created for decorative purposes, can arrive at the museum also So this is another argument for the artist to do the job: helping to find the right art piece for a home.

When I say “decorative purposes” I don’t mean that it cannot inherit content, emotion, deep feelings and themes you would expect from museum art, but it seldomly would inherit “problematic subjects” quite openly and right into your face (unless your patron has a very special favour for provocative themes). Who would hang paintings about war and violation above the sofa or the bed?

I am not ashamed to say that I want my work to be decorative and therefore desirable for most homes. My work hung also in museums. So what’s the point? I do not produce mass products though nor hundreds of paintings each year which fill the closets and will disappear under a thick dust layer or worse – end up in the bin. I can still stand behind each of my works no matter what my preferences currently are.

Now this silk scroll as well as most of my work works very well with any interior.You don’t believe this? Then go and check out my other blog about Art and Interior and you will be surprised. I was surprised myself until I just started to play with the compositions of different interieurs. I would never have thought that certain objects are really working together.

Whether modern or classic, whether ornamental or minimalistic – there is a plethora of possibilities and inspirations. This is the motor for new inspirations and more creative work.

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Spheres – a painted Silk Scroll from the Hidden Gems Series

This is the second of the painted silk scrolls from the Hidden Gems series which is about a very special mineral: agates.

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“Spheres”
34″ x 34″, silk, beaded

If you have ever seen agates in reality then you know how fascinating their own little cosmos can be and that these images can spark a lot of inspiration. So this scroll painting also has been inspired by the image of a real agate – only the size has been blown up of course.

A few of those wonderful minerals I own myself – thousands of photos can be found in the internet if you want to know more about this magical mineral. Books and documentaries on tv are full of magnificent photos and the choice is extremely dificult.

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The image that was chosen here I especially liked for its ethereal view, that reminded me of one of those science fiction films which cover philosophical themes. I called it “Spheres” (not after the film with Sharon Stone “Sphere”!) because it also reminded me of those landscapes you can find in large ice caves. Spheres with a very special aura. You think of ice crystals and other treasures you can find beneath the surface. And when you have once been in a dripstone cave you know what I mean and how fascinating and beautiful this world can be.

I very much hope that my work is a bit inspirational in this direction too and that my enthusiasm for these worlds is infectious…

An unexpected serendipity of this work was my discovery that the painting is glowing in the dark. Like in real dripstone caves where you can find white crystals like those out of calcium sulfate, you will realize that there is some phosphorizing effect. The crystals begin to glow even in very little light. Same happens with this painting. The mother-of-pearl pigments I used in the light parts start to glow in the dark. Looks very mysterious.

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But there is more to discover in this silk scroll.
The crystalline crusts which can be found in a geode have been imitated here with clear and black glass beads. And just the same way as in a real geode, where the tiny crystals begin to sparkle when the light is on them – so do the tiny glass beads reflect any light here. The beadaholics of you guys will have their fun with this piece.

The multicoloured veins you find in a geode have been imitated as well i.e. painted with thin lines as you can see in above detail pics.

The last photo shows the detailed beading of this silk scroll. Click on the pic for enlargement (all pics can be enlarged).

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Painted Silk Scroll – Bloodmoon

I want to introduce a completely different series to you – one that has a very special theme: agates. Photographers know how diverse these gems of mother nature are and I know one at least who covers this subject in great detail and with even greater enthusiasm: Mark Graf. Check out his wonderful images on his website.

Agates are a very complex group of minerals. Their appearance differs as no other mineral I think and are therefore a never ending motif for those who love the tiny landscapes within….
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“Bloodmoon”
128 x 58 cm, Silk
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One reason why agates are so magical is that they can deliver great surprises. Their real treasure cannot be seen from outside – it is hidden inside. Only when you open a geode you can see what’s inside.
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Agates were the inspiration for this silk scroll. An additional thrill was the paradox of the material, to re-create something on silk what was the contrary in reality: a stone in silk, an optical illusion, reminiscent in some way of the trompe d’oeuil paintings of the 18th century.

But this silk scroll has an additional layer and meaning. The title of this scroll is Bloodmoon which is a transcription of the female cycle. Although the image is somehow abstract it is also reminiscent of a cell, enclosed in several layers of tissue, just like the uterus of a woman. The red part is the blood which a woman is losing during menstruation.
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The scroll is painted on silk. The tiny quartz crystals you normally find in a geode are represented through tiny glass beads which have been sewn on the silk after painting. The light will therefore be reflected by these hundreds of tiny beads.

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Also I used mother-of-pearl paint on this scroll. This increases the reflection of various colours just the way an agate will show different colours depending on the light.

In the last image which is approximately the double size of reality you can see the beading

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Maybe I should mention that this is really an unusual presentation. The scroll has been exhibited various times in the US and has won several awards. I am offering it for sale now.

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