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spirituality & contemporary
art
How does contemporary art address the idea of spirituality? How
do artists working today reveal and question commonly held assumptions
about
faith, belief, meditation, and religious symbols? The Art:21 documentary “Spirituality” explores
these
questions
through the work of the artists Beryl Korot, Ann
Hamilton, John Feodorov, Shahzia
Sikander,
and James Turrell.
special features
See a slideshow of artworks showcased in the “Spirituality” episode,
watch a video preview of the show, or explore a slideshow of artists
from multiple seasons of Art:21 discussing the theme of spirituality
in their work.
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episode synopsis: “spirituality”
“Spirituality is such a vibrant and integral part of our lives that even
our changing times and all the apparent obstacles have not stifled the powerful
partnership of spirituality and art in the modern era,” writes Lynn M. Herbert
in her essay for the Companion Book to the Art:21 series. “The realm of
the spiritual is mysterious and inviting,” writes Herbrt, “It is a
place where we are encouraged to explore the unknown.”
“Spirituality”
opens with an original work by artist, Beryl
Korot. While quilting, actress and host S.
Epatha Merkerson evokes the theme of spirituality as a "thread which connects
us all." Using found material culled from
the broadcast, Korot manipulated the footage on her computer: slowing
down, colorizing, and looping isolated gestures and sounds. Meditative
in its pace, Korot's work harnesses the power of modern technology
to create a space for reflection and intimacy. Korot's piece blends
together fleeting moments such as a sunset in the Arizona desert,
a guitar ballad by John Feodorov, and the preparation of tea by
Shahzia Sikander for her miniature painting. |
| VIDEO: |
Introduction by Beryl Korot
with S. Epatha Merkerson |
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| The first artist featured
in the hour is Ann
Hamilton. Whether working with sculpture, textiles, film,
and sound, or even her unique mouth-operated pinhole cameras, Hamilton
finds all her art to be about a "very fundamental act of making." "When
I'm making work," she says, "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." Filmed
on location in Lexington, Virginia, where she is in the process
of a new installation "ghost: a border act," the segment
travels with Hamilton to her home in Columbus, Ohio, where she
is shown experimenting with bubbles that
stretch from floor to ceiling. |
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| VIDEO: |
"myein" installation |
| VIDEO: |
text videos
& "lineament" |
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| Calling on his Native
American heritage and sense of humor, John
Feodorov sets tradition against modern-day kitsch to create
a "hybrid mythology" in provocative multimedia installations. "I
have this background," says Feodorov, "of a traditional
Navajo and this sort of outsider Christian background of Jehovah
Witnesses, which are completely opposed to each other. And I'm
in the middle trying to make sense out of it." Filmed in Seattle,
Washington, where the artist works and lives, the segment features "Office
Shaman," a new performance/installation which humorously joins
contemporary office culture with ritual healing and sacrifice. |
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| Trained in the challenging
discipline of Indian and Persian miniature painting, Shahzia
Sikander has adapted an enduring artistic tradition to the
task of questioning and exploring her Eastern heritage, its boundaries,
and its liberating possibilities. "My whole purpose of taking
on miniature painting was to break the tradition, to experiment
with it, to find new ways of making meaning, to question the relevance
of it," she says. The segment traces the artist's balancing
act between studio and museum, small works and large-scale installations,
Islamic faith and American attitudes towards Islam, and Sikander's
life in the United States and her family in Pakistan. |
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| The final segment in the
hour features James
Turrell, known for his use of light as the primary material
in his work. From his Quaker Meeting House to his "Roden Crater" project,
the artist has devoted his life to capturing the
ethereal properties of light and its powers to evoke transcendence
and the sublime. Pursuing his vision at a great sacrifice, Turrell
wryly comments "People often ask me how much this crater costs.
It cost me two marriages and a relationship." This segment
focuses on two new works in Houston, Texas—an underground
tunnel of light and a skyspace in the ceiling of a Friends meetinghouse—in
addition to Turrell's life's work in Arizona's remote Painted Desert—the "Roden
Crater." |
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