Statement: The Black (W)hole Project)

 

God would not exist outside or inside of the cosmos. That would imply a dichotomy. Dichotomies are constructs of the mind. In true reality, the cosmos is a homogeneous entity, which has no beginning or end.

 

In the Chinese philosophy of Taoism, the true nature of the cosmos is represented as energy that was never created and therefore cannot be destroyed. Eternity is the true nature of Tao. There are no dichotomies associated with it because they are illusions of the mind. Illusions of the mind occur often in our cultures and societies.

 

For example, some people think that the Sun rises every morning; it does not. The Earth rotating on its axis creates the illusion of a sunrise. This phenomenon is a paradigm effect in many cultures and societies.

 

In Yorubaland, the cosmos has two distinct realms: aye (the realm composed of physical phenomena) and orun (the formless or unseen reality of the gods and ancestors). These two realms are represented in the form of a sphere, like a calabash. The two realms exist as a dynamic synthesis. They constantly interact to maintain balance.

 

In cosmologist Stephen Hawking's cosmos, space-time curves backwards like a calabash. There would be no beginning or end to the cosmos. Moreover, it would have never been created and; therefore, it would never be destroyed. (It is a completely contained phenomenon.) We are the cosmos.

 

Albert Einstein established that energy could not be created nor destroyed. Energy changes form through-out infinity. Because of a binary system of knowledge, some people find it difficult to believe something not having a beginning. If the Big Bang created the cosmos, what created the Big Bang?

 

In addition, I created drawings that represent the concept of a beginning-less cosmos, inspired by a synthesis of Abstract expressionism and surrealist formalisms. In addition, I have collated the images into a sequential narrative, inspired by Chris Marker’s 1962 film, La Jetee, which means The Pier in French. The film is composed of a series of still images.

 

I have explored this concept for many years: an amazing beginning-less homogeneous flux. I titled it The Black (W)hole Project. Ultimately, I am representing a dialectical process between the work and the consciousness of the viewer. The mind creates the illusion of heterogeneity. In addition, there is no answer to the question: What is reality? An apple does not know it is an apple.

 

In my art, sometimes I do not search for ideas. I allow ideas to become visible, a wonderful synthesis of an artist as reality. It is a dialectical process, which establishes itself in being. Plato believed that phenomena did not reflect reality truthfully. His Allegory of the Cave represents that concept. In these graphite drawings, energy is evolving into an unconscious being. When it experiences light, it slowly becomes conscious.

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The Eye of Illusion 

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Truth is beyond any realism, and the appearance of things should not be confused with their essence. —Juan Gris

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I have become aware of society’s need for utility and adherence to abstract concepts.  However, one must deal with the consequences of binary systems in their respective society, such as good versus evil, high versus low, light versus dark, man versus woman, etc. In my work, my goal is to make people aware that their physical differences are an illusion.  

                            

It is difficult to talk about the cosmos being a random occurrence. It transcends binary systems of knowledge. Binary systems of knowledge depend upon mediums of comparison, which are social and cultural constructs. It is impossible to know the cosmos. It is like trying to conceive a fourth primary color. Furthermore, a phenomenon cannot realize itself: a bird does not know it is a bird.  Man knows he is a man because he has defined himself as such.

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​The “I” illusion is an epiphenomenon of consciousness.  In quantum theory, a human is not part of a whole but transcends the whole. In other words, there is only one phenomenon: God/Cosmos. It does not matter what you call it. (Maybe, this phenomenon continues to evolve as a self-directed ontology.)  

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​​In my latest work, I explored the concept of the cosmos as a beginning-less, homogeneous flux, which I titled "The Black Whole Project". I analyzed and synthesized ideas from minimalism and neo-primitivism. I used various media including, rusted sheet metal, fabricated materials, acrylic, wax, enamel, tar, charcoal, and wood. I have produced compositions that have a sculptural aesthetic. Ultimately, I am representing a dialectical process between the work and the consciousness of the viewer. Being attracted to various textures and colors, I was able to represent the materials in a unique context. In addition, in my discovery, when natural objects decompose, an outline of the cosmos appears in their respective decomposition.