So there we are between Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. The GREAT TRIO issue of the Church Fathers, theologians and artists, not only the religious ones ).

I don’t believe in a God (or Gods). I don’t believe in Hell, Purgatory or Heaven. I believe in physics, in the concept of eternal universes, in the perfection of our imperfect cosmos. I believe in the force of nature, a kind of intelligent living being, but without any sentiments or feelings. I was born into a Catholic family and up until the age of 8 I received a Catholic tutoring. Even so I didn’t believe in God consciously from the age of 12, but I am still fascinated by Catholic religion and especially by medieval art and culture. Medieval Art is one of my greatest passions. I can’t take my eyes off the marvellous, absolutely stunning Gothic Cathedrals, impressive gothic altarpieces, the beautiful icons, the fantastic gargoyles, and burlesque creatures, unorthodox and original creations all. Actually I love all the medieval visual art, the architecture and designs.

More on Hell, Purgatory and Heaven – an abstract concept.

Today is the second day of Devon Open Studios 2011. No visitors today. Yesterday a couple with a child visited me. They just saw a sign on the wall and because the child needed to take a leak they stopped and visited me. They were nice people but not really interested in my paintings or in what I am doing or why I am doing it.

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If there is a way to free ourselves from suffering
We must use every moment to find it.
Only a fool wants to go on suffering.
Isn’t it sad to knowingly imbibe poison?

More on "The inflamed eye of the beholder" from my surreal Eye Series.

It hurts me when I think about Haiti.
Every time when I think about the past of Haiti I get very angry .
Tragedy, love, blood, voodoo, anger, bloody history, freedom, colonialism, slavery, plunder, natural disaster and hope.
Lots of weird stuff in my painting.
I hope for better future for Haiti.
A radical shift in awareness, values,
and behaviour is required to meet the bright future.
The painting is 3D, it is acrylic + lots of impossible things; 114 h. cm x 74 b. cm
The money I will raise will go to Haiti.

More on For Haiti – my new painting

Here is my new painting Metropolis III from the series Metropolis, dedicated to a rather fatalistic and sardonic proverb 'Nothing is certain but death and taxes'. The image of Death isn't so difficult but the image of taxes is.
In truth you can imagine, you can speculate about the symbolisation of taxes in my painting but it is indeed difficult to find it. It is open to individual interpretation.

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I can’t remember who said that paintings should tell stories not only present them, maybe I imagined it. Maybe it referred to films and not to art, but what actually determines whether or not a painting tells a story and not only presents it? Perhaps it is the behaviour of creatures, colours, a smile on somebody’s face, a group of people arguing about something, children playing in the garden, insinuations, an absent gaze, or even musings. Is it possible, really possible to see the story? Is it really the artist who tells the story?  Isn’t it true that the artist presents the story and the receiver creates, interprets and concocts the past and the future of the given picture/story?

More on "The true story of the Cat, the Tree and the Bird"