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Refracting Infinity

Creator: JOSH TIESSEN
Offered by: Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc.

Description
JOSH TIESSEN
Refracting Infinity
Oil on panel
36 x 24 x 2 inches
Signed
$19,800.00

PROVENANCE
Josh Tiessen
Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc., New York City

NOTES
“Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” [i]. The philosophical musings of Qohelet, an ancient teacher in the Jewish wisdom tradition, warn that the pursuit of knowledge, wealth, and all pleasures under the sun is nothing more than a vapour. The figure in my painting, whose silhouette is reflected in the window, represents Qohelet. He is a disenchanted wanderer in a world of smoke and mirrors, pondering the question “What is the cure to the banality of existence?”

Similarly, the French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal described the predicament of being caught in the despair of human existence: “On all sides I behold nothing but infinity, in which I am a mere atom, a mere passing shadow that returns no more” [ii].

Although I have a limited grasp of complex scientific theories, I find it intriguing to visually incorporate scientific concepts. I have depicted the idea of string theory (that at the subatomic level all of life is interconnected through vibrating strings of energy) by the criss-crossing yarn inside the window, which two Indigo Buntings are weaving into a nest. For me, sketching and painting are much like mind-mapping, a non-linear approach of connecting the dots between seemingly disparate reference points, as utilized by John Nash in A Beautiful Mind.

I have always been fascinated by the ‘golden ratio’ spirals of sunflower florets. The Fibonacci sequence of spiral growth is a cosmic constant, from the nautilus to galaxies [iii]. Here, I was inspired by van Gogh’s whimsical sunflowers. Despite his life of sorrow he saw glimpses of the Divine through nature, and this resonates deeply with me.

While some deem life as absurd and having no objective meaning, I am not satisfied with that answer. I prefer to press into the mystery, the artistic design in science evoking in me both wonder and desire for a world re-enchanted [iv].

[i] Ecclesiastes 1:2
[ii] Pascal, Pensées
[iii] Boeyens & Thackery, South African Journal of Science
[iv] Articulated by Charles Taylor in A Secular Age

More Information

Documentation:	Signed
Period:	New
Styles / Movements:	Contemporary
Incollect Reference #:	594949

Dimensions

W.	24 in;	H.	36 in;	D.	2 in;
W.	60.96 cm;	H.	91.44 cm;	D.	5.08 cm;

Message from Seller:

Rehs Contemporary is regarded as one of the top galleries in New York City and is a platform for new, emerging, and established contemporary artists; many of whom have received extensive academic training. The gallery offers high-quality works to art lovers of all kinds, from first-time buyers to major collectors.