The Great Pavement

The Divine Order of the Universe | Process | Setting | The Arts of Geometry | Text

Text

The pavement is the only piece of its kind to carry a text. The text is inscribed with inlay, using an uncial script.

In the four years before this Year of our Lord 1272,
King Henry III, the Court of Rome, Odoricus and the Abbot
set in place these porphyry stones.
If the reader wittingly reflects upon all that is laid down,
he will discover here the measure of the primum mobile:
the hedge stands for three years,
add in turn dogs, and horse and men
stags and ravens, eagles, huge sea monsters, the world;
each that follows triples the years of the one before.
Here is the perfectly rounded sphere which reveals
the eternal pattern of the universe.

Conclusion

This cut and layered panel is the most challenging piece I have undertaken to date. There were days, even weeks, when it was questionable if it would reach completion; the piece almost defeated me. The technical problems associated with the tension caused by layering and size were formidable. The emotional, financial and physical strains were enormous. Such challenges are typical of the artistic experience, and while they are self-generated, I firmly believe that these hurdles are necessary in order to proceed to the next phase of one's career. Challenges such as the Great Pavement stretch one's thought and discipline, and the ensuing cycle of successes, errors and corrections is an integral part of any new venture, binding together the extremes of the artistic process in the very fabric of the work and resulting in a very emotive piece.

Online exhibit.