The eclectic range of styles in Earthworks: The Monumental in Miniature reflects watercolor’s ability to record shifting states of existence. These small works on paper – symbolic images rendered, blurred, refocused, fragmented, and dissolved into fields of color – mirror nature’s endless transformations. The paper is sometimes creased, torn, and punched with holes. The fragility of works on paper is a reminder of the delicate balance of natural forces we inhabit.
The Golden Ratio proportions in these paintings are informed by my study of Sacred Geometry: the confluence of art, science, and spirituality, which constitutes a common ground between many of the world’s cultures and traditions. This language of number and symbol (circle, triangle, and square) can be used to express profound ideas about the nature of existence.
Rectangularity is one example of how human intelligence selects from and frames the continuous flow of experience that might otherwise be overwhelming. Nature is beautified and savored through a safe window. This can induce boundary dissolving aesthetic experiences, or compartmentalized thinking, which perpetuates the ecological crisis – a conundrum that haunts the current conversations about art and nature.
There are no words, representations of humans, or domesticated species in this series, but eroded cultivations and rudimentary structures in various states of decay. Painting endures as human evidence, even when evoking a post – human world. It no longer seems possible to fall into the lap of nature and hope everything will work out: there’s been too much damage and denial regarding earth’s finite resources. If nature is larger than human intelligence, then let’s welcome unanswered questions by learning from and cooperating with nature.
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Karl Lorenzen is a professional artist who exhibits and teaches at leading holistic learning centers. He is a faculty member of the New York Open Center and Anthroposophy NYC, and a teaching Artist in Residence at the Omega Institute, NY. He received a 2016 SU – CASA Award / Artist in Residence, sponsored by the Queens Council on the Arts / New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Lorenzen’s artwork has been selected for publication in The Penn Review / University of Pennsylvania, Paris Atlantic / American University of Paris, The Healing Muse / SUNY Upstate Medical University and Pulse / Montifore Medical Center – Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY. His work has been selected for the Sharing Visions 2016- 2017 catalog Cover Art / Signature Artwork, Ketchum Health Building dedication, Marshall B. Ketchum University, CA.
Lorenzen’s work has been included in exhibitions at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center inFUSION Gallery, the annual meeting of the Canadian Botanical Association / L’Association Botanique du Canada at Thompson Rivers University, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Gallery, and the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
