The Artwork as “Icon”: Dreaming in Two Worlds
Spirituality in Modern Art - The Immaterial Frame from Kandinsky to Motherwell - Jewell Homad Johnson
Jewell Homad Johnson [+]
University of Sydney
Dr Jewell Homad Johnson held a MA and PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Sydney. An exhibiting artist since 1982, Johnson’s academic work is informed by her art practice and experience as a director/scenographer in theatre, television, and film.
Description
Chapter Six considers Fr Pavel Florensky’s religious concept of the invisible world. This unseen spiritual realm is superior to the visible world and is accessible to the artist. Florensky’s Russian Orthodox beliefs are shown to be compatible with Kandinsky’s, insights from the former confirming Kandinsky’s strong connection with the Eastern Church. For Florensky and Kandinsky, the image functions like a religious icon; an encounter with spiritual presence, and a window onto the invisible world. The icon is further discussed in relation to Andy Warhol’s art, who is considered here to be a religious artist.