MEDITATION ON LOTUS: FAMILY
March 15, 2012 - Roberts Creek artist Gordon Halloran, known worldwide for his Olympic installations in ice (www. paintingsbelowzero.com) will open an exhibit of paintings called Meditation on Lotus: Family as part of his Lotus in Motion work.
The large open studio space of Yoga by the Sea in Roberts Creek is the setting for the exhibit. These are paintings that began the artist’s exploration of Lotus, and are part of his process of creating the floating paintings that have become Lotus in Motion. Meditation on Lotus: Family will include early paintings exhibited at the Miami International Art Fair, and Art Palm Beach, 2011, where the artist was invited to be the featured artist in Pubic Art.
The local exhibit will be made up of permanent paintings in the shape of the lily pad, bold in colour, varied in size and created from a variety of materials. Some of the lightweight paintings exhibited in Miami, which floated in the air, attached by a mere string, will be displayed at the Yoga-by-the-Sea as well as the mixed media paintings in cradled panel. All paintings share texture, brilliant colour, lacework and mystery not only with the with the artist's paintings in the water, but also his past, ephemeral work in ice.
In 2011, the artist created a public art installation of floating paintings in the shape of a lotus leaf at VanDusen Botanical Garden during the summer months.
As part of the process for creating this artwork, the artist studied the patterns and hues of nature surrounding the lotus in the garden. His observation that every shape and pattern in nature can be found in permutations in other organic materials is expressed on the surface of each painting thorough the colors and textures of landscape flora and fauna.
The paintings themselves are grouped in ‘families’, distinctive by their colour and pattern. The juxtaposition of the different families of paintings creates a visual impression of the connectedness of all organic matter. With these paintings, the artist expresses this observation of linkages and shared characteristics, as well as the relationships that humans create and call ‘family’. In Chinese lore, the stalk of the lotus plant is easy to bend in two, but is very hard to break because of its many strong sinuous fibres. Thus the lotus can represent an unbreakable relationship between two lovers or the members within a family.
The paintings will be on display until April 30th. A special reception on Sunday, April 15th from 3 – 5 PM is planned at Yoga by the Sea, with the artist in attendance.
To contact the artist: Caitlin Hicks 1 (604) 886-3634
