THE INITIAL question
Illuminated Letters: Threads of Connection began with a question.
“As I sit in synagogue, there’s a story that comes up every year,” a friend said. “The story has to do with a burning Torah scroll. The letters don’t get burned, but instead are released, going up to the heavens. Perhaps through your art, you could explore what that might be about?”
thought exercise
“What could the letters be made of that they don’t burn up?” I wondered.
Thanks to Albert Einstein’s research, I understood that energy has a form. I thought perhaps these letters were made of a form that doesn’t burn – a type of energy that gets released to become part of a greater whole.
the story visualized
As an artist, I thought the best way for me to tell this story was through visual media. This led me to create panels, each one featuring three-letter Hebrew root words. I could then visually show how these roots give birth to concepts of universal values.
the mATERIALS USED
The materials I used in the creation of Illuminated Letters: Threads of Connection include acrylic paint, gold leaf illumination, calligraphy, fabrics, hand cut paper and computer-created imagery, combined with sewn silks and other fabrics
the work itself
For this work, I created 18 sewn and 42 computer-generated and digitally printed panels and mobile objects out of colorful silk fabrics, all of which are based on sacred geometry. Logistically, the full Illuminated Letters: Threads of Connection exhibition extends more than 40 feet and requires up to 2,500 feet of space. Spiritually, it offers multiple opportunities for visual and emotional connections and interpretations.
THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
My intent is to offer you an opportunity to inspire, ignite and self-actualize, creating connections with nature, the world and the universe. Illuminated Letters: Threads of Connection reflects decades of study with international linguistic experts on the roots of ancient words and creates visual pathways for you to discover your own unique threads of connection.
