Woman and Wisdom. The ‘Feminine Voice’ collection came about as my discomfort with the absence of women in iconography grew. Traditions change gradually as we ask new questions because of new insights …More
Woman and Wisdom.
The ‘Feminine Voice’ collection came about as my discomfort with the absence of women in iconography grew. Traditions change gradually as we ask new questions because of new insights; I worked on this collection utilizing the traditional byzantine style continually asking, “where are the women?” One scholar called the work neo-iconographic because it is mildly radical and challenges the status quo. What became obvious to me was, if we are to believe God's boundless presence is reflected in the biblical story through iconography then more women must be included.
Those godly men who mythologized the “fall” written about in Genesis have had a fundamental and profound impact on the status of women. Eve was the first woman, made from Adam’s rib. She is the feminine energy which morphed into Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Marian and the few other women mentioned in the bible. For me they remain undeveloped prototypes for our contemporary society. Their stories and presence does not portray the ample dimension that women have to offer, years ago or now. I feel compelled as a woman icon artist to inquire; when will women be given the spiritual voice that was rendered silent with the fall of Eve? It may be silly to remind everyone, Adam fell too!
The ‘Feminine Voice’ collection came about as my discomfort with the absence of women in iconography grew. Traditions change gradually as we ask new questions because of new insights; I worked on this collection utilizing the traditional byzantine style continually asking, “where are the women?” One scholar called the work neo-iconographic because it is mildly radical and challenges the status quo. What became obvious to me was, if we are to believe God's boundless presence is reflected in the biblical story through iconography then more women must be included.
Those godly men who mythologized the “fall” written about in Genesis have had a fundamental and profound impact on the status of women. Eve was the first woman, made from Adam’s rib. She is the feminine energy which morphed into Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Marian and the few other women mentioned in the bible. For me they remain undeveloped prototypes for our contemporary society. Their stories and presence does not portray the ample dimension that women have to offer, years ago or now. I feel compelled as a woman icon artist to inquire; when will women be given the spiritual voice that was rendered silent with the fall of Eve? It may be silly to remind everyone, Adam fell too!