Artist Statement: I imagined the world as it began. Beauty springing forth from nothing. Time nonexistent and then existing. Liminality birthed. I then made several attempts at recreating it: what happened “in the beginning.” The first piece, Genesis 1, was intended to be five individual sculptures of angels in a series (to meet the call’s requirement for 5-7 pieces of work) culminating in a final piece incorporating all the angels poised around a glowing “new earth.” I was dissatisfied with the “angels.” They were too “fairy like.” Although perhaps they (these dark angels) are reminiscent of the “Night” that came first and the “darkness (that) was upon the face of the deep?” And, perhaps, the arrangement of my dark angels speaks of the “dark part” when “God divided the light from the darkness?” I wasn’t reaching for the “dark part,” though. Hence, I created three more sculptures: this time adjusting the wings, color, and enhancements to capture the “light” I imagined bursting forth “in the beginning.” Genesis 2, Genesis 3, and Genesis 4 incorporated my three angels into different “lighter” interpretations of Earth’s beginning. Genesis 1-4 are all lit by LED lights within a glowing “Earth” (the round orb in the center of each of the four sculptures) for “Let there be light” and the moment “God divided the light from the darkness.” Genesis 2-4 are lit by blue LED lights to show the earth’s waters when the “Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” and “the gathering together of the waters called the Seas.” The butterflies in all four pieces are a reference to “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life” and “that may fly above the earth.”
While Earth’s beginning in Genesis 1 was birthed by God, He was unfathomable for me to represent in any tangible form, so I chose to depict angels instead - as God’s emissaries. Perhaps not Biblical, but the idea of angels draws me towards God, so He might say they are “good” enough? Genesis 1-4 are all on rotating bases made from wood and stained to appear as though covered in water. The finish on the “Lazy Susans” also looks like clouds or sky: a nice surprise and fitting for my intent. I have spent most of my life painting, but my new explorations in sculpture allowed me to capture more of what I imagine when I read Genesis 1. My favorite 3D part of all these pieces is the “glow.” The use of literal “light” (for me) captures a greater sense of God’s presence and power “in the beginning.”
Bio: Alisa E. Clark is an avid acrylic painter, collage artist, assemblage sculptor, and educator who enthusiastically explores ways to share her creative process while encouraging others to join her in the process of art making. Alisa communicates the transformative power of art through words and images and believes in releasing the spiritual power of painting to others. From within the creative flow, in-between moments are captured with a paintbrush and the artist’s voice. A better understanding of our “In-Betweens,” and ways art can give us hope no matter how hard our present places may seem, waits inside Alisa’s paintings. Her liminal creations invite people on little adventures through time and space: fantastical journeys with the power to bring interconnectedness, possibility, and a splash of imagination to the present moment.
Alisa received her B.F.A. from Pratt Institute and has an M.S. in education. She has published many books about art and spirituality. Alisa authored her own spiritual autobiography, titled Dancing in the Doghouse, and has a spiritual memoir website at www.JourneyOnCanvas.com. Alisa communicates her passion for creative exploration at www.LiminalSpaceArt.com and www.MindfulnessPaintings.com.
Alisa's latest book, Painting Memories (2022), explores the ways art can tell the story of our past. Art and Liminal Space (2020), is the compilation of Alisa’s recent work with reflections that explore liminality’s influence upon it. Mindfulness Paintings (2019), encourages everyone to engage in the creative process and always value their process over their product. Whether Alisa is creating, writing, or teaching, her goal is always the same: to share the spiritual power of creative process in life’s liminal places and spaces.
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