December 05, 2004
Moving 'Heaven/Earth' - Artists find meaning and essence in Scripture

By Marina Hendricks
Staff writer

MARK Wolfe sums up the exhibit he and fellow artist Amy Williams put together for Covenant House in one word: perfect.

"It's a perfect time of year, perfect location and perfect way to give back to the community," he said.

"Heaven/Earth," which opened Dec. 3 and runs through Dec. 20, features photography, paintings and mixed-media works. Wolfe and Williams are donating a portion of the proceeds from sales back to Covenant House, a facility where the homeless and other people in need can seek assistance. Pro-Art in downtown Charleston is offering a discount on matting and framing for works purchased from the exhibit.

In 'Heaven/Earth,' the two artists explore their mutual interest in religion. The Rev. Jim Lewis wrote in an introduction for the show that they bring different, yet complementary approaches to the subject.

"Through their art, we are challenged to look both beyond and amidst the world in which we live to discover a powerful revelation at the intersection of mysticism and the mundane," Lewis wrote. "This exhibit invites us to explore what Job discovered and wrote about in the Hebrew Scriptures."

"Using all the ingredients that flow from the flasks of heaven, these two talented artists invite us, through their work, to view the solid mass of their creation so as to behold, in awe, the clods of earth that bind all of us to heaven and earth. Mark Wolfe and Amy Williams have given us an exhibit that looks high and low - to the heavens and to the earth - for the spiritual rhythm that penetrates the seen and unseen."

Scripture reading provided Williams, a family therapist with Family Service of Kanawha Valley, with a foundation on which to build her artwork.

"I just reflected on the meaning of the story," she said. "Regardless of your religion, you can appreciate the meaning of Scripture."

She noted that one of Jesus Christ's teachings plays an important role in her portion of the exhibit. "Jesus was really about peace. A lot of the show focuses on imagery related of peace."

"Because of our political climate and my concern over the direction our country's taken, I feel art is a very important thing to focus on in a time of war."

Wolfe, owner of Mark Wolfe Designs, said his approach tends to be more visual. "If I'm out and something speaks to me, I try to observe that subject. I have a predilection for mortality, the impermanence of earth, how now is going to prepare us for the afterlife. I choose to get down to the core of the subject rather than add any flourish to it."

To contact staff writer Marina Hendricks, use e-mail or call 348-4881.

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