Ralph Kiggell: Sacred Shapes

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Sacred Shapes – Accordion Book

Yesterday I posted Ralph Kiggell’s Temple Dogs series of woodblock prints, and quoted excerpts from his blog that described his process. Today I’m sharing his Sacred Shapes series of 12 woodblocks. They also have a simple concept, repeated in iterations, in which the subject is abstracted to the point it is a compositional element. Similar to yesterday’s dogs, these Sacred Shapes also have a bit of humor included. A while back I wrote a V.Note about how difficult it can be for art to be humorous. Fine lines, so to speak.

Bonus: This post includes a very nicely written artist statement, a rare thing. Notice how his writing is similar in tone to his artwork, and how he avoids inflated and indirect flippity-floppity wishity-washity art speak. He does not even use the word “juxtapose.”

Kiggell’s website is quoted below:

TWELVE SACRED SHAPES 

“The twelve sacred shapes, which are also mounted as a double-sided accordion book, interpret and pun the tapering kranok shape, a ubiquitous flamelike motif seen in Thai decoration, which is derived from organic forms such as buds and leaves. While kranok gives a delicate and often glittering appearance to Thai objects, costumes, painting and architecture, it is adapted from decorative motifs that arrived, along with Buddhism, statecraft, literature and art, in a process of Indianisation that spread, with Sanskrit, Brahman rituals and Hindu myths, across Southeast Asia. Rather than being an exclusive symbol of Thailand, kranok represents the flow of ideas and cultures from one people to another, and demonstrates that nothing is confined to one place alone.”

“In Twelve Sacred Shapes, a group of apparently unrelated international objects from science, geography and nature translate the kranok shape. These shapes mimic the upward curving forms and pointy flicks seen in, for example, temple decoration, Thai writing and in the long fingernails of temple dancers, all of which rise auspiciously toward a better, more sacred, place than the earth on which our feet stand.”

“Through kranok, Sacred Shapes also reflects on the pleasure and discord of being alien, how living abroad leads one to adapt and change. They also assess the presentation of Thailand, a popular tourist decoration today, as exotic and ‘other’ to foreign eyes, as well as the fluid assimilation of foreign ‘things’ into Thailand.”

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Do you enjoy the look of the woodgrain? Do you enjoy these simple compositional shapes? Woodblock is an excellent class for painters and designers. It strengthens our compositions, and our ability to think through an artwork so we don’t end up in the weeds. If you enjoy curls of wood shavings, and meditative processes with clear steps (unlike painting), try our new Contemporary Woodblock class. I thought I’d be sick of woodblock after carving that giant steamroller Rhino but I only got more interested. The house spent carving were very pleasant, and I liked the result quite a bit. I discovered I actually kinda like this stuff. I’m taking this Fall Contemporary Woodblocks class on Monday mornings. Want to join me? Sign up now! Don’t wait! This class starts September 17th.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]