Byzantine Icons are experiencing a great revival in this century, combining efforts both from the East and West, inclusive of new spirituality and contemporary examinations of some classics from the past. Painting Byzantine Icons for Today will hopefully shed new light on old ideas and might even re-calibrate the minds of some towards a deeper understanding of spirit in our lives.
Although it is a beautiful art form, and has experienced a great revival, many people are still unfamiliar with Byzantine Icons.
ANCIENT ICONS
Byzantine Icons is a sacred form of painting, one which is accompanied by meditation and awareness. They recall Church life and teachings over the past two thousand years in frescoes, icons and mosaics of Mother Mary, our Savior Jesus Christ, and other saints. They are said to be Byzantine Icons because they were created in the Byzantine Empire and were a large part of the Orthodox Church.
Traditional icon paintings are best known because of their vivid colors, gold backgrounds, and because of the religious importance of the persons depicted.
In Byzantine icons every aspect of the icon is symbolic. For instance, in many iconic paintings the ears of Christ are large, and the mouth small. This is meant to symbolize the great capacity of Christ to listen, and the wisdom with which he speaks.
Old paint, New icon
There are two new landscapes where the icon painting is thriving.
One is the public’s contemporary interest and exposure, to what were once hidden in private collections around the world. Many ‘secret’ collections existed in the private sector in the church archives behind closed doors. The internet and its ability to expose never before seen icons to a wider audience, has helped iconographers and the public. Today collections travel from place to place and are seen by many for the first time ever.
The second new landscape is Painting Byzantine Icons Today in a new community of contemporary iconographers. The production of icons is no longer the sole domain of monastic communities or iconography schools. The media advancements in technology, social networking, teaching and generally sharing this great art form have stimulated a large participation and interaction between iconographers.
The result is both good and bad but where God is concerned I feel the judgment is irrelevant. It is simply change and it is necessary for our evolution in God, as his creation. We were made with the potential to think and create and therefore nothing stays the same, not even icons
This icon By Mary Jane Miller and Valentin Gomez offer their work to add to the current Byzantine Icon Revival.
Painting Byzantine Icons Today http://www.moderncatholiciconography.com/
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