Iconography
A Symptom of Modern Blindness – Further Thoughts on the Phrase “To Write an Icon”
This is post 2 of 3 in the series “To Write or to Paint an Icon” Several contributors go over the common debate on whether one “writes” or “paints” an icon. Is “Write” Wrong?: A Discussion of Iconology Lingo A Symptom of Modern Blindness – Further Thoughts on the Phrase “To Write an Icon” From…
Continue reading »Is “Write” Wrong?: A Discussion of Iconology Lingo
This is post 1 of 3 in the series “To Write or to Paint an Icon” Several contributors go over the common debate on whether one “writes” or “paints” an icon. Is “Write” Wrong?: A Discussion of Iconology Lingo A Symptom of Modern Blindness – Further Thoughts on the Phrase “To Write an Icon” From…
Continue reading »The Cave in The Nativity Icon
Just as the Ass and the Ox, the cave portrayed in the nativity icon is not specifically mentioned in Scripture as being the birthplace of Christ. In fact, St-Luke’s account does not say exactly where Christ was born, only that The Holy Virgin lay him in a manger. So why a cave? Why not a little…
Continue reading »On the Relative Autonomy of the Icon: Converging Aesthetics in Early Modernism
It is well to remember that a picture- before being a battle horse, a nude woman, or some anecdote- is essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order. – Maurice Denis, ‘Definition du Neo-traditionisme’, Art et Critique, 1890. In the icon …Colors are colors; red is red. Colors do not imitate…
Continue reading »“The Icon is Making its Way in America”, an interview with Ksenia Pokrovsky
The life of Ksenia Pokrovsky (March 9, 1942-July 7, 2013) touched thousands of people from nearly every part of the world. Here are excerpts from an interview taken by Irina Yazikova in 2009 for an Italian magazine. Yazikova is a noted art historian and author of many books about iconography, including “Hidden and Triumphant: The…
Continue reading »Fr.Silouan Justiniano – Returning to Puerto Rico With Icons
Fr. Silouan Justiniano, who is a native of Puerto Rico, was recently invited to return to the island to show his art, both his earlier work and his icons in the city of San German with the Universidad Inter-Americana. Fr. Silouan received a Masters in Fine Arts from Hunter College New York City as well…
Continue reading »Aidan Hart to Lecture in Texas this December
OAJ contributor and world-renowned iconographer and liturgical artist Aidan Hart will deliver a lecture entitled Holy Icons in Today’s World:A Living Tradition’s Insights into Contemporary Issues in Modern Art, Ecology, and Community in Cedar Park, TX – near Austin – this December. Anyone interested in Orthodox iconography, or art and religion in general would do well to seize…
Continue reading »Iconography In The Landscape
One of the points I have been hammering at since I began writing for OAJ, is how symbolism is not just an arbitrary set of codes and meanings but is rather the very place where logos encounters the world, a coming together of different levels of reality. (See for ex, my article on the Recovery…
Continue reading »Orthodox Architecture and Iconography as Subjects in Fine Art Painting
Orthodox liturgical artists treat the vast world of secular fine art with some trepidation. The question of fine art influence on iconography, in particular, is a very delicate one. Western painting styles have done great harm to iconography historically. The reverse is arguably true as well. The ‘discovery’ of medieval painting inspired western…
Continue reading »6 Days of Icon Carving
Last month I had the opportunity to give my first icon carving training for Hexaemeron. Hexaemeron is a travelling liturgical arts school based on the work and method of Ksenia Pokrovsky of recent memory. It was an honor to join the Hexaemeron team and to have a chance of working with a very dedicated group of…
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