Interviews

Meet the Artist: Karl Lorenzen

On view at the Mulberry Street Library through February 28, 2015 are the delicate drawings and cutouts on paper by artist and teacher Karl Lorenzen. I spoke with the artist about his work. 

This current exhibition draws from the Moghul style of drawing—what drew you to this realm of art? 

I am a professional artist who specializes in the art of sacred geometry—a hybrid of art, the sciences, and spirituality that constitutes a common ground between many of the world’s cultures and traditions. Its language of number and symbol (circle, triangle, and square) can be used to express profound ideas about the nature of existence. One day I was looking at a lavishly illustrated coffee table art book, Court Paintings of India: 16th to 19th Centuries, by Pratapaditya Pal. There is a fineness and delicacy in the images that resonates with my artwork. I began doing drawings and paintings based on art from the book as a contemplative practice, without being familiar with the historical context of Mughal miniatures. Later on, my wife suggested that I turn them into finished works, embellished with my geometric designs. 

Rose Window

What lessons do you think people can glean from looking at and creating works of sacred geometry

Sacred = timeless. Geo = earth. Metry = measure. Cooperation with and appreciation for the beautiful proportions of nature, of which we all are part. Belonging to a larger, symbolic universe puts body, mind, and spirit back in alignment. Contemplative art creates wellness: a calm, focused mind in touch with the collective mind. In sacred art, geometry is used for the inner teachings on unity and selflessness which are best communicated as numerical archetypes. Sacred geometry is a good map for post-religious spirituality—the evolutionary path of human intelligence.

Who or what are some of your most profound artistic inspirations?

Pro = before. Found = foundation. Before the foundation (the weaving of human culture), there is a numerical order of existence that is ready-made in nature. To be inspired is to be in spirit. For years I lived near Prospect Park in Brooklyn and on the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay in Queens. The observed patterns of growth and erosion remind me that there is no permanence in nature: everything changes, especially my mind. The idealized figures, landscapes, and patterns in my artwork are broken up, relocated, and drawn freehand on paper. The dissolution of these images of power and privilege and the fragile, ephemeral nature of paper evoke a vanishing world.I am inspired by and enjoy the Himalayan, Islamic, and Medieval art of the Rubin Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I regularly visit art galleries in NYC to see how creativity reflects the hidden assumptions embedded in language and representation, which are very much on everyone’s mind. In addition to visual art, the rhythmic beauty found in the music of Indonesian gamelan and the improvised intelligence of jazz accompanies the creation of my own work.

We are very grateful that you offered to host a Family Art Workshop at Mulberry Street Library. What motivates you to work with art and families?

Most of the workshops that I give are at holistic learning centers, primarily for adults. Because students of any age can understand, appreciate, and participate in the art activities I teach, I wanted to expand my audience to include children. I’ve had an enthusiastic response from parents and their children taking the workshops, and they’ve expressed their desire for more workshops sponsored by organizations like Free Arts NYC, Queens Public Library, and The New York Public Library.

Durga

What do you like about having your work shown in a library space?

A public library is a community resource, and place to exchange ideas: an ideal setting for discovering the art of sacred geometry. Free access to materials and knowledge attracts a large, culturally diverse audience of all ages to see the art and obtain further information about its subject’s source.

What books are you reading now? 

Violet Clay by Gail Godwin, Court Paintings of India: 16th to 19th Centuries by Pratapaditya Pal, Mughal India: Art, Culture, and Empire by J.P. Losty and Malini Roy, A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe by Michael Schneider. Quadrivium edited by John Martineau. 

The artist has generously offered to host a family-art workshop called Patterns of Beauty at the Mulberry Street Library on Saturday February 7 from 1-3:30 pm. Registration is required and limited space is available. Stop by the Information Desk at Mulberry Street Library or call the branch at 212-966-3424 for more details. 

Comments

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Beautiful drawings!

Hopefully I can get there to see the exhibit.

Excellent

These are some excellent pieces and an informative interview. Can't wait to see the exhibit.