Fire and Shadow - Spirituality in Contemporary Australian Art

This is a second-hand copy of the book Fire and Shadow - Spirituality in Contemporary Australian Art by Nevill Drury and Anna Voigt.

Condition: This is a used book in very good condition.

Publisher: Craftsman House
Year: 1996
ISBN: 9789766410421
Format: Hardback with dustjacket
Pages: 183
Condition: Used (Very Good)

The concept of "spirituality" conveys more than formal religious faith or belief - it relates to the sacred and transcendental dimensions of human consciousness and touches directly on the fundamental mystery which underlies the process of creation. Artists relate to this mystery in different ways - sometimes within the context of a religious tradition, such as Christianity or Buddhism, but more often in an instinctual, non-doctrinal way. Some artists relate their spirituality to the potentialities of human awareness - a sacred potentiality perhaps only partially glimpsed but innate to all human beings - while others see the spirit as an extension of the conscious mind. Others find the sacred within the earth, within rites of passage and transformation, and within archetypal mythologies from both East and West. This work profiles 15 contemporary Australian artists - among them painters, sculptors, installation artists and practitioners of mixed media - and explores the ways in which spiritual ideas, experiences and themes have emerged through the creative process. The spiritual perspectives are so diverse, encompassing Roman Catholic and Afro-Christianity, Aboriginal "dreamings", apocalyptic surrealism, archetypal "Goddess imagery", alchemical symbolism and Buddhist mysticism. Featured artists include: James Gleeson; Kate Briscoe; Inga Hunter; John Coburn; William Ferguson; Rover Thomas; Milkitjungu Millie Skeen; Gloria Temarre Petyarre; Tim Johnson; Marion Borgelt; Anne Judell; Wendy Stavrianos; Lyn Plummer; Sebastian di Mauro; and Ted Snell.