A quotation I heard from Ravi Zacharias led me to paint my collection titled, “Union of Contrasts.” He reads the uniqueness of Christ from the writing of James Stewart, a Scottish nobleman:
He was the meekest and lowliest of all the sons of men, yet he spoke of coming on the clouds of heaven with the glory of God. He was so austere that evil spirits and demons cried out in terror at his coming yet He was so genial and winsome and approachable that the children loved to play with Him and the little ones nestled in His arms. No one was half so kind or compassionate to sinners yet no one ever spoke such red-hot scorching words about sin… His whole life was love. Yet on one occasion he demanded of the Pharisees how they ever expected to escape the damnation of hell… He saved others but at the last, Himself He did not save. There is nothing in history like the union of contrasts which confront us in the Gospels. The mystery of Jesus is the mystery of divine personality.
Contrasts are powerful imagery in art and literature. Among them are the polarities between light & dark, faith & doubt, hope & fear… the list goes on. Not only do they present a certain kind of drama, but they are altogether deep and mysterious. Take for example the paradox of overcoming evil with good, hate with love and the giving of life with a sacrificial death. This subject whose visual elements are too powerful and dynamic intrigues me. In order to portray such imagery in my paintings, it was necessary for me to use a limited palette. The interest of each work lies in the intensity of the brushstrokes. The application of the paint tells a story. They represent variety of feelings when one experiences such forces. We all face dilemmas in life; it’s the way we decide that determines our destiny.
Exhibited at the Big & Small Art Co. on Nov 19 – Dec 1, 2004.
