Inspired by: Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt’s paintings are well-known to the general public — in particular “The Kiss,” posters of which can be purchased from a lot of vendors. The painting at left is called “Adele Bloch-Bauer I,” which sold for a record $135 million in 2006 (Neue Galerie, New York).

These two paintings typify what I find inspiring within Klimt’s body of work: The iconic poses and composition, which is accentuated by the use gold on the surface; and the decoration and patterns — which my own eye likens to stained glass. It particularly makes me think of the stained glass on a church building (which, to my chagrin, I can’t find a picture of online) in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska.

I am looking more and more at my own sculptures and wall pieces as iconic. My first thoughts along these lines originated with an idea I considered six years ago or so. This idea was to create an installation that functioned like a prayer labyrinth, but acted more like a maze. I wanted to create an enclosed, maze-like space which people would make their way through, stopping in small alcoves to ponder small three-dimensional art work. My intent was to create a contemplative, perhaps even meditative, artistic experience.

The decoration exemplified in Klimt’s paintings often runs counter to a lot of how my own aesthetic fleshed itself out over the last 10 years. I have explored, for the most part, a very minimalistic approach to most of my work. Hence, such decorative elements have not shown up much, if at all.

However, I have been considering the employment of such elements in my work for the past couple of years. I don’t believe I will stray from a more minimal form in my works, but I am becoming interested in the use of metallic and colorful inlays. Perhaps I will use this decoration simply to point to Beauty, but also as visual direction to a focal point.

I still hope to some day find opportunity and resources to create such a labyrinth as I mentioned above, and to fill it with works that challenge people’s comfortable ideas and ideals, cause people to think more about Beauty and also to think about Beauty’s Creator.

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