‘Pop Mandala’, an exhibition of paintings by Steve Kursh, will take place at the AFA Gallery from January 2 until January 24. The opening reception will be on Friday January 2nd (First Friday), from 6 to 9pm, with an artist talk at 5:30pm.
Opening days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday 12-5pm. The AFA Gallery is located at 514 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton.
Steve Kursh describes the show as follows. “Mythologies, social philosophies and religious beliefs have long been the basis for a sizeable portion of humankind’s output of art. In my contribution to that output, I have come to the mandala as the appropriate vehicle to present my thoughts.
Mandalas have existed in all cultures as a sacred place - be it natural or constructed - to remember The One in control of the universe. It is a place to perform a certain ritual or practice, or for the use of a great teacher or mystic. In it’s external representation a mandala is a diagram of the cosmos. Internally it is meant to be a guide to the psycho-physical practices of the believer. In that sense, my use of images from a wide range of sources, all part of my physical existence, is an effort at finding some residue of the sanctity of the universe and it’s potential in us. The mandala is most recognizable as an element of Hinduism and Buddhism, belief systems whose underlying themes are dominated by the possibility of world transformation and individual liberation. In the same light, the purpose of art is to define or make a blueprint for a more ideal way of seeing this world.
What does all this mean? Nothing.
What is the message? It’s about enlightenment. After the formal concerns and physical aspects of a painting are considered, the only thing that makes any difference is your experience. Sometimes it’s there and sometimes it’s not, but enlightenment is where a painting wants to take you.”