Spiritual Renascence or Entombed Soul Revival
One may compare graphic works of George Grier with the windows opened to other dimensions, to parallel universes. The structure of our usual three-dimensional space there is blurred and we get access to other worlds with something extraordinary, something that was previously hidden from us is manifested there. His paintings help us to get rid of the stereotypes of our routine perception of reality. Each of them is the philosophical reasoning of the author. They are the answers to one of the questions about the meaning of the universe. Neo-surrealism has many branches and for a small group of artists it is possible to introduce the term surreal philosophysm. Of course, the artist does not complicate anything intentionally and does not try to confuse the viewer. He just opens the door to his distinct world, but not everyone can enter there. The paintings carry unusual, multilayered allegorical information; this is not the flow of factual data to which we receive daily. This spiritual knowledge and awareness of them occurs gradually.
According to the artist himself, this work does not necessarily relate to the female or male gender. This picture is rather a conceptual sketch, a draft of intention. The entire work is built on the exaltation movement of the soul. The whole focus of the work is directed towards the very fact of the effort towards purification and renewal. Religious attributes of work are rather an allegory and a reminder. The giant dimensions of the cathedral make the figure of the soul comparable to the immense size of the cathedral itself. The hand of help stretched from above, or rather the point of touch with something that will lead the soul on. Therefore, the hand is represented only in the form of a sculptural fragment. Many souls need a guide or a shepherd; many need only a hint of the path direction. And there are souls who choose their own trajectory of reawakening. The picture is all about the properties of the human condition, such as eternal search, doubts, falls and compulsions.
Transformation of the human condition involves several aspects such as getting rid of the old worldviews, obsolete internal programs, templates, and beliefs. This change for some people goes smoothly and gradually, this is the period when the soul wakes up, is renewed, and reborn. After the transformation of consciousness, the whole world seems beautiful. Each of us has this aspect of hidden conversion. Someone has it in a dormant state, someone feels it in full. Perhaps the time has come for an active manifestation of oneself, it's time to regain the true nature, and the time of rebirth has come.
The name of the painting could be translated as Spiritual Revival or Resurrection of the Lost Soul. It is one of the eternal questions of mankind. Let's try to understand and decipher the author's intention. The female image has always been identified with an extraordinary source of divine power, and spirituality. The Creator created the world and life on the planet, so the woman gives the planet a new life as well. She brings love, beauty and joy to the world. Due to the natural features of the woman's psyche she is more subtle. She is less constrained by coarse matter, more mobile. Her knowledge of the pure heart is intuition - a higher level of consciousness than the intellect, which is more developed in men. Intelligence corresponds to the Masculine Principle, intuition to the Feminine Principle in humans. The entire humanity is built on these two principles.
The scene, the background, the decoration of the painting is St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican. It is the main cathedral of the Catholic world. It is more than five centuries old, and it is the most famous sight of the Vatican City. The architectural style of the basilica is also Renaissance. The cathedral interior impresses by the harmony of proportions, its gigantic dimensions, and the richness of the decorations. It has a large number of statues, altars, tombstones, many other outstanding works of art. Several generations of great masters worked on the creation of the cathedral, Rafael, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Bramante. This temple is a symbol of Catholicism. And it was this place that the artist chose for the allegory of the Soul Renaissance. As if the walls of the temple, the source of past delusions and sins, also experience repentance for a person. The path of humanity is thorny and tortuous. And the cold, stone walls of the cathedral, which for centuries remained indifferent to the millions who came here for salvation and help, stretch out a symbolic hand to the woman and illuminate the path from above with a stream of energy, light, a "holy spirit."
The female figure strives to rise, rise from her knees, and at the same time she grows out of the stream of purification. She reaches out for help. Lighting is also deeply symbolic - it is a triangle sign of unity, triad of gods (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and resurrection. The feminine soul is freed from the centuries-old oblivion and breaks the web that entangled her consciousness. A woman's soul is an inner stream of boundless love, tenderness, creativity and harmony.
(Title Rus) Духовное Возрождение или Воскресение Утраченной Души
Software used: 3ds Max®, Adobe Photoshop®, Adobe Illustrator®, Photo Stock
*Text editor Heather W.W.
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Spiritual Renascence or Entombed Soul Revival | surreal exaltation painting