Spirituality plays a significant role in art in the modern era.
Despite changing times and obstacles, the partnership between spirituality and art remains vibrant and integral.
The spiritual realm is mysterious and inviting, encouraging exploration of the unknown.
Featured Artists
Ann Hamilton
Installations:
Combines soundtracks with various materials such as cloth, organic matter, and objects.
Integrates verbal and written language with visual elements.
Experiments by exchanging sensory inputs (e.g., using the mouth and fingers as eyes with pinhole cameras).
Beryl Korot
Background:
Born in 1945 in NYC, BA in English Literature.
Art Practice:
Explores encoding and transmission of information through lines, grids, and patterns.
Utilizes weaving, print media, and video to visualize intersections of history, language, and technology.
James Turrell
Background:
Born in 1943 in LA, educated in psychology and art.
Influence from Quaker upbringing.
Artistic Focus:
Works with light and space to create transcendent experiences.
Constructs installations that manipulate light to evoke feelings of meditation and contemplation.
John Feodorov
Background:
Born in 1960 in LA, mixed Navajo and Euro-American heritage.
Artistic Focus:
Critiques stereotypes of Native Americans in American culture.
Uses humor to juxtapose sacred items with consumer products.
Shahzia Sikander
Specialty:
Indian and Persian manuscript painting infused with personal context.
Artistic Approach:
Blends Eastern precision with Western creative expression.
Expands manuscript painting into contemporary art via murals and installations.
Challenges stereotypes of Eastern women through performance and various media.
Explores themes of border crossing and cultural subversion.
Quotes
Ann Hamilton: "When I’m making work, there’s a point where I can’t see it. And then there’s that moment where you can see it—it’s like it bites you—and you think it might be beautiful."
Additional Resources
Explore more episodes on themes like "Place," "Identity," and "Consumption" in the Art21 series.