Notes regarding the Icon Painting

The portable icons is a special sector of Byzantine Art. In the case of Icons the Christ, Virgin Mary and Saints they are painted directly on wood, otherwise on linen or cotton cloth glued on boards with specific procedure.

In opposition to mural art and monumental painting decorating the dome or the walls of churches where the viewer looks from a distance the painting of portable icons creates figures that come in close contact with the faithful. The faithful prays in front of icons and worships them. The icons are litourgical objects bringing in contact the faithful and the depicted figure, the perceptible world and the conceivable, the visible and invisible. The technotropy of icon painting is different from the mural painting but the main difference is the care for details  so that the characteristics of figures on icons would be depicted more carefully. The painters of icon paintings are painting the real or the supposed real portrait of the holly figure. Without this resemblance the grace of the holly figure is not transmitted to the faithful viewer. To keep the reseblance of characteristics painters may use handbooks in which the characteristics of Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary, Apostols and other Saints are described, drawings of Saints, or testimonies of people that saw, envisioned or dreamed Saints.

Reflection 8-9, The 7 Icons with the 9 Saints

These two weeks were very productive since i have drawn the figures of 9 Saints. I haven’t drawn Saint George because the scene of Saint George killing the dragon is a scene of fight that i want to investigate more. I haven’t decided yet. For the other figures i have got the results shown below. One main point keeping in mind was an advice for icon painting by monk Paisios a Saint of our days. The holly figures that are depicted on icons should transmit sentiments of love so that the faithfull would feel connected with the figures and not repulsed by them. For the characteristics of the Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary Archangels and Saints some romantic elements would acheive the above point. Offcourse in Byzantine Icons the painter should not depict romantic landscapes because the icons would lose then the importance of being devotional objects. So my influence by Romantisicm would be limited on facial characteristics and it wouldn’t be obvious in a way that it would brake some laws of Byzantine Art. Byzantine Art is a strict Art buti would like to paint with a personal style.

During the chat session of week 8 Paul Tebbs was there to help us concerning our Post-Graduate Professional –  PGPD question. My colleques raised their questions and so do i. It was very productive to let Paul Tebbs know my intentions and i will focus on his advices.

What is PGPD?

“This unit is an integral part of the MA programs tought at Camberwell and aims to support the asquisition and up-dating of skills and knowledge relating to research and the successful management and development of your career. It is tought as an inter-MA subject in order to create a strong research community, foster an exchange of information, and encourage inter-disciplinary and collaborative modes of practice”.

And the individual task is:

“the purpose/ambition for your practice beyond your MA”.

“secure an economic base to substain that ambition (economic base integral to the work’s conceptual identity)”.

Jesus Christ – The King Of Kings

Virgin Mary with young Jesus 

Archangel Micheal

Archangel Gabriel

Saint Raphael – Irini – Nikolaos

Saint – Martyr Chrysanthos

Saint Nicolas

I have drawn the faces of the 9 Saints of the 7 icons….

A screenshot from the templo of the virtual chapel is shown below.

Spectacle

The focus of this week chat was around SPECTACLE.

“In general spectacle refers to an event that is memorable for the appearance it creates.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectacle

Spectacle is a term for art and even politics.For example the American regime is building its policy on the Spectacle of Terror. The 911 incident is a spectacle itself. 

What drives attention on an art piece?Fireworks are used to create spectacle. Todays society is a spectacle itself with consumable commodities and technological inventions.  But what is the drive force of this spectacle society? If not a diabolic egoism to promote the self, it is a need of man to be distinguished among many.

So i have to think about Spectacle and my art…To be continued

The story of the three trees

2W7

The concept idea of the real iconostasi on a rock initiated my search for an ideal rock. I have located 2 rocks in the village Palechori and i have been thinking ways to transport them in Nicosia. I have contacted Mr Takis an automobile mechanic in Palechori and discussed ways to transport the rock. The bigger rock may weight 2-3 tones so the job will require a professional with a right vechicle. Mr Takis will contact me when he finds the local who can undertake the Job. At the same time i am waiting for a response from the local authorities of Latsia so i can build my iconostasi.

Till the 20th of  June when my fellow students will gather in Second life i have decided to work with sketching 6-8 icons for the chapel in Second Life.