Are your paintings an invitation to the spiritual journey?

In my mind the paintings have become conceptual, providing a point of departure, a provocation, an invitation to take this inward journey that leads to unity, interpreting not only the visible but also the invisible to inspire the soul or the mind towards transcendence, to calm, console and renew. Take for example the Language of Spirit. The title may seem to be referring exclusively to spiritual energy, yet the concept is really about the physical and spiritual coming together manifesting in the heart. Art opens the heart into the space of reading between the lines, where the possibility of an invitation to the spiritual path may lay. Since the work contains thoughts and feelings relating to a map or pathway between the polarities of matter and spirit, does this not become the spiritual journey of another who views it? As Edward de Bono wrote in regard to my Twelve Thoughts: "Spirit cannot be captured but it can be experienced in different ways. The viewer is welcomed by each picture and encouraged to share the experience."

When we hear a song, we make it our own because it triggers our own thoughts and feelings. It does not remain exclusively the singer's domain since the space created by the sound is a give/receive experience. It is the same with a painting which opens up on a physical and spiritual level and is accessed through this same give/receive experience. It is actually making the creative act complete. The effect on the viewer is derived from looking, listening, feeling and contemplating the work.

Often, when a person, place or thing inspires me, I start a process of cross checking my thoughts in parallel with nature, science and spirituality, both logically and intuitively. This is how I stumbled upon my concept of the Language of Spirit and Twelve Thoughts, which both contain the same workings using semiotics to signify vast spaces of thought which bring into play the mystery of perception in respect to spiritual energy.  

One of my recent paintings Moon and Earth square the circle is taken from a proven mathematical formula (the square is 4 x Earth's diameter = 4 x 7,920 miles = 31,680 miles, the circumference of the outer circle is 2 pi x radius = 2 x 3.142 x 5040 miles = 31,667 miles i.e. 99.9%). This image and its geometry are used as a metaphor to depict nature's cosmic code to harmony and alignment, relating it to our human responses. If mind and heart could be aligned into perfect resonance as depicted in this space-time continuum with geometry, then the equilibrium between thought and feeling could not only result in a harmonious heart and mind/spiritual and physical response - it would be healing and liberating.

 

Is the 'Language of Spirit' a symbolic language?

"Art is a language that helps us communicate with various fields, including science, design, architecture and fashion," says Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. In a way, I suppose the Language of Spirit could be a symbolic language. Geometric symbols supplied the perfect method with which to depict my perception of The World, Highest, Giving, Receiving, etc. The drawings that emerged intuitively developed into paintings on handmade paper in the year 1999. Symbols can be read like hieroglyphics or cryptic coded messages. One simple icon can stand for a complex description or explanation. Once a symbol is understood there is no need for words or intellect - the simple diagram will say it all. In a nutshell, the geometry of these paintings signifies states of dynamic energy. This thought has guided me to create many semi-abstract paintings discovering the balance between the polarities and the alignment of spirit and matter, male and female or positive and negative. My work in the series Temple Culture depicts this concept. The mandala holds a similar principle, where energy perceived by the brain is felt by the psyche physically, mentally or spiritually. Just like the effect of stability in monastic architecture, not to mention the architecture and orientation of our very own temples.  

I realise now that I am depicting a vital system built from the core which transmits and receives boundless universal energy. This is difficult to express in words but not with geometry and the principles of the Gestalt theory which refers to this central axis as the core. With the help of these theories, I attempt to illustrate this vital system in a symbolic language with my paintings. The mind is a powerful processor and can turn an idea into thought, reason and expression. A good concept can be adapted and used as a form of communication to suit different levels of age and literacy through interdisciplinary art. 

One of the areas of my MA research became this investigation of geometric abstraction- seeking if geometric abstractions could be used as narrative structures for philosophical thought and boundless spirit. Thought and boundless spirit can indeed reflect the psyche in terms of energy, so why not try to paint it? Kandinsky's artistic and literary work Concerning the Spiritual in Art (1926)  investigated this as "pure visibility" by means of adapted formal approaches of the science of art, teaching students in the Bauhaus Academy, these principles in art that resonate with physics, science, mathematics, spirituality and consciousness. And though my words may come across as sweeping statements from an artist, there is no doubt that creative energy can transform individuals, promote insights and be a force for positive social change.

 

I am drawn to your work on the Goddess. Did you visit various Maltese temples and paint in situ for this intriguing series?

Thanks to the organisation Neolithia, which was the brainchild of Marie Mifsud, who collaborated with other organisations in San Francisco including Linda Einix at the OTS Foundation, the exhibition Seven Temples 7 Women in 1999 created an exceptional opportunity to paint the temples in situ, including the Hypogeum, Mnajdra and Skorba. These works resulted in exhibitions at the Archaeological museum as well as at a number of universities in San Francisco, including Berkley. My series entitled Oracle was painted later in 2004 in my studio. These goddess paintings are adaptations of recovered archaeological finds and present not only the image but also empowering affirmations channelled through the art practice.

 

Do you think there is a deeper meaning underlying our ancient temples?

I definitely believe that there is a deeper meaning underlying our ancient temples. For starters I will casually throw in Kepler's five Platonic Solids and Newton's Law of universal gravity.  My painting Magnetic fields of connectivity describes it far better than words. What inspires me the most about those matriarchal times is the archaeological and cultural cosmological evidence which shows that our ancestors tuned into nature and natural phenomena by means of their culture, incorporating reverence to mother earth.

 

Is it possible to worship both God and the Goddess?

Did our ancestors worship gods and goddesses or is it possible for us to worship both of them? In terms of energy, I don't think you can have one without the other. However, in the history of storytelling which dates far back to Enheduanna, Akkadian princess who served as High Priestess during the third millennium BCE, (c. 23rd century BCE), regarded by literary and historical scholars as possibly the earliest known author and poet of either gender, her most famous work Nin-me-sara, was devoted to the goddess Inanna/Ishtar. I don't think words can do justice to this cosmic energy that sustains us. I really don't think the divine is gender sensitive. We have used narrative and symbolic imagery since the beginning of time describing this question. 

 

There is a solace and comfort emitted from your paintings which brings peace and calm - do you think that art can be healing for the soul?

I do think that both creating and viewing art can be healing for the soul. So much so that art therapists and psychotherapists are referring to or are developing programmes and structures using art therapy to help those going through difficulties. Conflict resolution through expressive arts is high on their methodology. If we learn how to balance our minds and develop our consciousness at will, we should no doubt become better people, creating a better environment which holds earth and life in the highest respect as we shift our human existence from an ego-centric approach to a bio-centric approach. We can become healthier and more balanced, joining the critical mass that is striving to balance the current state of affairs.

 

You recently had an exhibition 'Gozo Landscapes' held on our sister island of Gozo. Where was this held and who attended?

My recent small collection of landscapes of Gozo was about tapping into earth's transforming energies by painting plein air using pastel's rich tactile colours. The paintings captured the charm of Dwejra, Ghar Qawqla, Marsalforn, Sannat, Munxar, San Lawrenz and many other magical spots on this beautiful island of ours painted over the four seasons. I was going through a difficult time with great responsibilities with no mind to wander into esoteric terrain. All I wanted to do was to look out at the land, and miraculously my brain would decode the scene in front of me into colour and form... voilà, to appear on my pastel paper.  The exhibition was held at Art e Gallery, Victoria during the month of July. It was a small affair which was left in the capable hands of Maria Cassar, the owner of the gallery who invited her clientele and looked after everything.

Some art lovers who live in Gozo attended the opening including Pawl and Stephanie Carbonaro and Austin Camilleri with his nine-year-old daughter, creating unforgettable memories. I myself could not send out invitations because my mother was in her last days and needless to say I was torn on the inside. Yet, art sustains us in ways that are inexplicable and I am most grateful that my paintings gave her some joy throughout our lives together. Now she exists in the realm I talk about, far from sight and touch but close at heart and one in spirit. I am forever humbled by the very nature of being.

 

What is your focus right now, and what kind of exhibition can we expect next?

I have spent the last six years incubating a storytelling project which I am illustrating using prehistoric symbols and other imagery keeping it relevant to our time. This idea will translate into a picture book aimed at all ages but with special adaptations for children and a visual art exhibition thus putting my research: An Investigation of Cross Media Storytelling for cultural, recreational, informal educational purposes to task. This story weaves together essential universal values of creativity, humour, consciousness and integration, translated into particular imagery. The story tells about our temples and our ancient culture, about the honey and the work our ancestors did to keep the island rich and abundant.  

It is my intention that the exhibition will be presented by a curator beyond 2018 and will include contributing artists and collaborators. Wish me luck because I have not yet managed to lift this project off the ground... it's special and I must share it.

In the meantime, I plan to dive into colour and abstract art. I need to stop thinking and talking. "Dive in the ocean, leave and let the sea be you." Jelaluddin Rumi.

 

Where can our readers reach you?

Studio address: 18, Triq il-Qanneb, San Gwann; email: [email protected]; M: 9920 5599; Facebook: Anna Grima Artist Page.