The Incorruptible Body, 2018
Oil painting and ultra-chrome inks on canvas
The Mysteries (I am referring to the secret schools of profound idealism) communicate through symbols. Men have always attempted to transcend the limitations of language and communicate at a level unattainable even through physical closeness (though sought in physical relationships); it reflects the original form of communication between God and his creation, which involved a highly personal sense of creation. Symbolism is such a language, but the tip is that it's not learnable; it's instinctive and intuitive. During my transition from mindful meditation to deep trances involving mystic self-transcendence, I encountered these seemingly genderless child portraits with open eyes to the world. I painted them despite not understanding their symbolic charge. Could they signify a universal consciousness that exists beyond our individual identities? (Excerpt from Notebooks, Interview, 2020 — A. F.)