Tag Archives: Spiritual symbols

Breaking Through the Boundaries of Patriarchy for CrossingBorders Exhibition

07 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by in Art, Sacred Feminine in ARt

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“Retablo for the Sacred Feminine”, oil on canvas with gold leaf & wood, 25.5″ x 18″

I’m honored to be participating in The CrossingBorders exhibition in Ghent, Belgium, August 31 thru September 15, a group exhibition of artists from the Global Art Project (GAP). We were invited to create an artwork that reflects a border or boundary and what it means to cross it – (political issues, globalisation, (im)migration, climate change, gender, race, culture, religious racism, terrorism, genocide, war, misogynist behavior, feelings of fear or superiority etc.)

I chose to use a retablo format and focus on how women have been marginalized, tortured, terrorized, and abused for thousands of years in the name of religion. Through time, matriarchy was erased from memory as myths were appropriated and symbols were stolen. With this votive, a prayer is lifted for women to break through patriarchal boundaries around the world and share the bounty of the planet equally and peacefully with men.

Traditionally, retablos were a votive offering in the form of a religious painting with a solemn request or a show of gratitude for a miracle. They were specifically important in Mexican folk religion in the 19th century where workshops would paint a favored scenario on a piece of tin or wood and write a request to God at the bottom of the image.

Using this retablo format as the basis for my piece, I chose to focus on Mary as she represents the divine feminine in the Catholic Church. For many indigenous cultures who were forced into the religion of the Opressor, Mary is a symbol for their goddess from ancient times.

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Traditional Mexican-style retablo

In “Retablo for the Sacred Feminine,” Mary is crowned in all her glory with a golden halo and a hint of angels wings behind her. She is truly Divine. Her breasts are bared, challenging the status quo and breaking through the shame that the Church imposed on her body. One hand open signifies her love and caring for all humanity and the other, a tight fist, represents her anger for the suppression of women and her readiness for their defense. Incorporating the spiral and the lozenge design at the top, symbols of renewal and fertility from the Neolithic goddess culture, signifies her role as life-giver.

The CrossingBorders exhibition will take place at the Sint-Amanduskapel – Campo-Santo – Visitatiestraat 2 – 9040 Sint-Amandsberg – Ghent – Belgium. It is organized for Global Art Project GAP by 10dence and curated by Ron Weijers and Carl Heyward.

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Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art

15 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by in ancient symbols, archetypal symbols, Art, Glen Rogers, Uncategorized

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I’m happy to present my recently published book, “Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art” . 

Cover of Symbols of the Spirit

Cover of Symbols of the Spirit

On the back cover: Glen takes us on a journey to explore eight iconic symbols that appear universally in early civilizations. She introduces archetypes—the bird, the circle, the lotus, the moon, the seed, the spiral, the vessel, and the vesica piscis—delving into both their meanings and their metaphors. She believes all are connected to the spiritual realm and have an undeniable link to the Sacred Feminine. Glen engages us with her unique style of art to illustrate each chapter and shares her personal stories and inspiration.

book page the seed sm

 

Excerpt from the Forward by Janet Blaser:

Through research, intuition and a deep sense of creativity and interconnectedness, the author explains with words and visual images how these symbols with their hidden messages can enrich our daily lives and anchor us firmly on our spiritual path.

Carl G. Jung in his book, Man and His Symbols, referred to certain symbols as archetypal—images that all of us can tap into through our unconscious mind, dream states and the creative process. For the last 25 years, Glen’s artwork in abstract symbolism has attempted to capture the essence of such imagery. While in her previous book, Art & Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place, she described her pilgrimages to sacred sites around the world as inspiration for her art, in Symbols of the Spirit, she focuses on the symbol.

book page the lotus

In these pages, Glen explains her intimate, personal encounters with the energies of these symbols, and how they’ve been a bridge to a more spiritual and connected life for her. She then goes one step further to share with the reader a meditation on each of the eight symbols, so they, too, can connect with these energies. It’s a powerful formula, backed by Glen’s years of exploration and experience, and a unique opportunity to enter a perhaps previously unthought-of spiritual territory.

While one could – as I did, for so long – look at her prints and paintings merely as beautiful works of art, there’s a deeper level of connection and meaning to be found. To paraphrase Glen’s words, I urge you to experience this book “from the heart, not the head,” and allow the images and meditations to become a part of your visual and spiritual vocabulary too.

 

Designed by Margery Cantor in collaboration with the artist. 104 pages, 9″ x 9″, soft cover, full color images, printed in Mexico City, $25usd.  Add this book to your own collection or give to that special friend as a gift!    

To order, contact me at: glen@glenrogersart.com

 

 

 

 

Inspired by The Lotus – A Symbol of Renewal

17 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in archetypal symbols, Spiritual symbols

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Golden Lotus Triptych

“Golden Lotus”, triptych, 17 ¾” x 41”, Oil on panel with gold leaf, , 2018

Some say the origin of all art is spiritual; it was a way for early humans to commune with a higher and unseen power through mark-making.  Many ancient cultures embraced the lotus as a powerful image and spiritual symbol. The Egyptians used it in their art and architecture to symbolize rebirth and regeneration. They considered it a sacred flower and used it in rituals, ceremonies and medicines for its restorative qualities. In the Kamasutra, an ancient Hindu text about human sexuality, the lotus is a symbol of the source from which all life arises.

My spiritual journey has coincided with my infatuation with the lotus. It was in Bali that I first saw the pink lotus in its full glory—the most sacred color of the lotus flowers. Floating on a small pond, the lotus blossoms in various stages of unfolding captured my heart. This had a profound effect on me, as if I was seeing the Buddha himself reincarnated. In both Buddhism and Hinduism, the lotus is a sacred flower and refers to spiritual awakening and purity of heart. It’s the cycle of the lotus that provides the metaphor for rebirth—with the bud emerging from muddy waters each morning and gradually opening with perfectly clean petals. Each lotus bud represents potential, and with the fully formed blossom comes Nirvana. In my meditations, the image of the lotus unfolding is my heart opening to Spirit.

Golden Lotus

Golden Lotus, 42” x 53”, Monotype, 2013

The image of the lotus continues to be popular in our contemporary culture. Graphic logos offering tranquility and peace can be found on candles, yoga mats and clothing. The simplicity of form and power of idea elicits a universal message.

Incorporating the lotus into my artwork is meant as a spiritual metaphor, not just the image of a beautiful flower. Using simple graphic strokes, I try to capture the hidden aura of the plant and reveal an ethereal side of nature. Carl G. Jung said that the symbol (any symbol) is the psychological mechanism for transforming energy. Through this simple form, I attempt to transform a blank canvas into something mystical, giving the viewer a spiritual connection through my art.

Allegory of the Spirit

Allegory of the Spirit, 56” x 56”, Oil on canvas, 2016

Jung in his book, Man and His Symbols, referred to certain symbols as archetypal—images that all of us can tap into through our unconscious mind, dream states and the creative process. He believed that “the greatest and best thoughts of man shape themselves upon primordial images,” and that archetypes—symbols from the collective unconscious – are metaphysical in nature. On my travels to sacred sites around the world, I learned firsthand that there truly is a universal visual language that connects us all.

Floating Lotus I

Floating Lotus I, 27” x 27”, Oil on canvas with gold leaf, 2015, Collection of Dana Amarisa

This text is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art due to be published in January.

Contact me at: glen@glenrogersart.com to reserve your copy.

The Lotus – timeless image of the Spirit

04 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by in Uncategorized

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Floating Lotus III

Floating Lotus III, Oil on Canvas w gold leaf, 27″ x 27″

The lotus, a metaphor for the unfolding of life and spirit, a timeless passage. As in all forms of nature, I begin as a seed and emerge gradually seeking light, my spirit rejoicing upon glimpsing something greater than myself – God, Goddess, All That Is – The Source. In my daily life, with heart, hand and spirit in alignment, I am at my best. Through creativity, meditation, and communing with nature, I seek divine clarity, and with luck, tap into the Collective Unconscious – source of inspiration.

I have used the Lotus as image for many years, and keep returning to it again and again. This timeless symbol finds its way into my prints, paintings and drawings creating a spiritual space for meditation.This simple floral shape associated with Buddha nature transcends its earthly role.

 

Sacred Space I sm

Lotus, 36″ x 27″, Monotype on Handmade Paper

Golden Lotus sm

Lotus, 42″ x 42″, monotype

Lotus III_monotype_42 x 53

Lotus, 42″ x 53″, monotype