Work will be on display from March 1st through the 15th of 2003!
The evening's ambiance was greatly enriched by the string quartet who performed the works of composer, Katherine Gilliam.
Both of Mary Ann's diverse styles were utilized to tackle her exploration into the commonalities between world religions and diverse spiritual paths.
"The Angel Doors"
Style: Relief Sculpture
Stage: Clay
Price: Pricing request upon commission
The angel Doors represent the belief shared by millions regarding Divine Guidance in our everyday lives. Sculpted in front are two angels, male and female. To open the door, you must take hold of the arm of the angel, thereby entrusting yourself to the Divine in our lives. At the bottom are names referring to beings of Divine Guidance who are revered in different religions and spiritual paths arround the world. Bodhivista refers to these beings in Buddhist beleifs, whereas Orisha's refer to these beings in the Shamanic traditions of African Tribes.
These doors are ready for casting, and the finished product will fill all exposed wood areas with stained glass.
"Buckminster's Galetea".
Style: Geodesics
Medium: Toothpicks and cement glue
Price: $11,000.00
In Greek mythology, a "muse" is Divine Inspiration personified.
Buckminster's Galetea get's her name from Buckminster Fuller who created the architectural formula for the geodesic dome. Mary Ann inverted this formula at different angles in order to capture the natural curves of the female figure.
Galetea comes from the Greek myth where a sculptor created his ideal woman and fell in love with the sculpture. Aphrodite, (Or Venus in Roman Mythology), took pity on the heart of the sculptor and offered him two choices: He could either choose to have his sculpture brought to life, or he could choose to become a sculpture himself. He chose to becme a sculpture so that he could spend forever with his object of adoration, as he felt that life was too fleeting for love. This is a story of an artist falling in love with his muse.
Buckminster Fuller was a genius in several disciplines and was known for his unending passion for the act of theoretical creation.
So by calling this adaptaion of Buckminster Fuller's work after him and Galetea, Mary Ann has sought to capture an embodiment of this late genius's muse.
"Melpomene & Thalia"
Style: Relief Sculpture
Medium: Bronze
Price: $35,000.00
A much more classical representation of muses. These are the theatre muses of Tragedy (Melpomene) and Comedy (Thalia). For many artists, be they performing or visual, a relationship with The Divine is felt at itsstrongest during the act of creation. So many, the concept of being in touch with the Divine is interchangable with being possessed by something greater than oneself. Hence the literal meaning of "Genius" is defined in the dictionary as "1.) in the Roman religion, the gaurdian spirit; tutelar deity; hence, 2.) the controlling spirit of a place or person; 3.) remarkable ability or natural fitness for some special pusuit; 4.) extraordinary creative intellectual or artistic power; 5.) one possessed of exhalted mental or artistic powers. The word "genius" comes from Latin's "genii" meaning "patron saint". Roman Catholics today still recognize patron saints in much the same way as the Greeks and Roman's of old. Today, the Saint of Theatrical performers would be St. Genesius.
"Spiritual Anatomy"
Style: Engraved/Carved Design with semiprecious jewels
Stage: Wax
Price: $30,000.00
This piece is based on the research of Caroline Myss, Ph.D. It is intended to millustrate the 7 energy points on the spiritual body as they relate to our physical form. Three world religions have recognized these as a physical metaphor that represents a path to union with the Divine:
Hinduism recognizes them as the 7 Chakra's of the body, represnted by the intersectons of two serpents. Judaism recognizes these as the 7 interior intersections of the Kabbalah. Caroline Myss's work shows how these correspond with the 7 Sacrements in Christianity.
Third Eye......Anja......(intersection between Binah & Hockmah).....Ordination
Throat....Vishuddha....(intersection between Gevurah & Hesod)....Confession
Heart....Anahata......Tif'eret......Marriage
Solar Plexus......Manipura.....(intersection between Gevurah & Hesod)...Confirmation
Sacral....Svadisthana.....Yesod......Communion
Base of Spine....Muladhara....Shekinah.....Baptism
Think of it as a map explaining the most direct path towards union with The Divine.
Sense of Oneness with All Creation; Transcendence, higher Love.....Crown.....allowing a person to love in present time
Mind; Clarity.....Understanding & Wisdom.....to make one's path of service
Will.....Judgement & Mercy.....to cleanse one's spirit of negative acts of will
Love.....Beauty.....to recognize the need to love one's spirit of negative acts of will
Self.....Majesty & Endurance.....to receive or bestow an expression of grace that enhances one's individuality & self-esteem
Power.....Foundation.....to recieve or bestow an expression of grace in the form of a "host" that represents union with God & others
Tribe.....Gaia; Creation.....to recieve or bestow grace representing gratitude for one's life in the physical world.
The Hindus represent the individual who does not have these "stepping stones" aligned in their lives as having two serpents coiled together in a knot. Metaphorically, the individual needs these serpents to reach from the base of the spine to the topmost part of the head where The Divine patiently waits to be connected to us. The only way to accomplish this is to fully estend the serpents through the length of the body while allowing them to intersect at each energy center. Hence why the symbolism of the two serpent heads at the topmost Chakra represents a fully spiritually evolved individual.
