September 12, 2014
Detail from the 16th century Mother of God and Child. Private collection. Image: http://www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au/home.aspx.
EIKON: Icons of the Orthodox Christian World will explain the origins of icons, explore their meanings to communities, and their impact on cultures that have come into contact with them.
Gallery Director Gordon Morrison, who has also curated the exhibits for the gallery, said that "while on one level icons are sacred portraits, in a deeper sense they represent the Divine Presence. They have been referred to as Windows on Heaven."
"Visitors will see some really sumptuous examples of Orthodox art," he said, "as work of this quality has hardly ever been shown in Australian art galleries."
The exhibition draws mainly from the private collection of former Australian diplomat John McCarthy, with additional loans from places such as the National Gallery of Victoria and the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology in Queensland.
Included in the exhibition is the icon of St Nicholas, which was created by an unknown artist in the 1700s, and depicts Russia’s most beloved saint, who was thought of as a friend of the common people and who fought against oppressors.
Another addition in the exhibit is the Greek icon, Nativity of the Mother of God, which uses the colour red to depict birth and rejoicing.
Morrison said that "this complex image weaves different points of the story of the conception and birth of Mary: Anna is shown lying down, ready to give birth; a group of women have laid out a feast in celebration; an angel watches over the infant Mary, while a seated Joachim looks on as she is washed. It is a feast for the eyes."
The exhibition will be accompanied by a schedule of education and public programs, including concerts of Greek and Russian-inspired music.
There will also be dramatic lighting and a soundtrack incorporating traditional chanting, bells, and other sounds of the Orthodox service to help recreate the original setting of the works.
