Metaphoria: Symbolism, impressionism and realism fused with the euphoria of tangible, spiritual and imagined experience and thought interpreted and conveyed through visual art and literature accompanied by fine music. Jean Marie Christian.

Through the ages and far into the 20th century, arguments prevailed that a painter’s job is solely to create visual images and remain silent allowing all including the brightest and most intuitive viewers sole discretion when interpreting a creation. This mind-set brought frustration to many an artist who sought to convey the deeper meaning held within an image.

Scholars and art historians lament when there has been insufficient information about a work or its master to conclude a meaning or decipher symbolic elements. Strong disagreements ensue among even the most learned over important masterpieces and history is often recorded based on an individual’s limited information, interpretation and bias. Thankfully, responsible writers acknowledge their limitations leaving further interpretation up to intelligent, appreciative and imaginative views.

Dilemma. Continue to limit the artist to a single medium of communication or free him or her to convey a thought, a passion, an inspiration or a feeling to the fullest of her imagination and ability.

We live in an age of constant distraction, interruptions, and incessant noise, a generation that is compelled to bustle about and is driven to endless consumerism. Terrorism threats real and imagined and political debate is escalating, even the stresses of our own chosen responsibilities and our own thoughts make it difficult for us to quiet our minds and take in all that there is to see, experience and enjoy in life. Even in attempts to refresh, we rush through museums from painting to painting rarely taking time to thoroughly study and marvel at the creations or contemplate the spirit, culture or environment in which the images were created.

Friends, acquaintances, patrons and dealers regularly present me with their desire to find a place of solitude, rest, reflection and a sense of peace, compassion and comfort far away from their harried lives. I purpose to celebrate my own and their loves, lives, experiences and essences in visual imagery, prose and poetry, taking time first to be still, to assimilate, then interpret in paint and literature while allowing music to further enhance the experience.

If when reflecting on the love of a man for a woman named Iris, flowers dance and leaves take on the curvature of her body and the music is sufficient to convey the entirety of thought and emotion I let it be. Likewise, if the complexity of a man, his beliefs, emotions and the environment in which he chose to live his life can be conveyed in visual symbolism and enhanced by the poetry of life so be it. And if music sets the mood and further enhances the overall experience taking the viewer to a deeper level experientially than I believe there should be no restrictions or rules for creators and I use this theory to free up my adults to create as unrestrained youths - and it works.

Imagine, I tell them what creation may develop if I fuse pointillism and illustration to convey my interpretation of the spirit of the living Wiggins merged with the spirit of VanGogh as seen in my Cultivating a Dream or imagine a teen on the verge of harvesting their lifelong dream for a better life as seen in my Dream Harvest. And you’ll see that anything is possible and acceptable.

We live in a time when people are no longer content to be merely viewers. This is a technologically advanced age. We are in a time where all our senses demand to be awakened and satisfied. We are complex beings with wide ranges of emotional, mental and spiritual capacity why restrict creators and views to a single genre or style when the spirit may move one toward whimsy or sadness, delight or seriousness. Rather, let the art reflect the inspiration and mood and let the creation be singular or multifaceted.

Through viewing an original painting, while corresponding music plays and a voice of poetry or the written words accompanies the piece a greater understanding and euphoria of experience is established. This totality is the art and the participant is moved. Metaphoria is a method that takes the viewer back to the moment of creation. It encapsulates the creative experience not in the hours it took to create, but in minutes. When one sits through the entirety of the musical arrangement they lose themselves in the painting, the poetry and the music and they receive a more tangible sense of the inspiration, intensity of feeling and thought because they are reached on more levels than the eye alone can comprehend.

Music plays a key role in my creative process. When painting, I am fully enraptured in time and space of the spirit of the subject. I endeavor to bring the viewer back into that moment. It goes without saying of course that all images certainly can stand on their own merit, and viewers are certainly bright enough to decipher a meaning. But images, poetry and music comprising my series Metaphoria exemplify my impressions of the spirit of the subject portrayed best when all elements are experienced together.

A participant who chooses to view the visual art only and prefers not to allow the influence of the music or poetry to effect their impression should have that option. For that reason, I present the elements separately and participants can take in each element as they wish when they ready to receive. Only when they take it all in however, will you enjoy the experience of:
Metaphoria.