Bridge to Eden: The Green World as Artist

Celebrate Nature as the greatest artist, view artistic collaboration between humans and the plant world at Bridge to Eden: The Green World as Artist, an art exhibit running April 21 – June 19, 2012, at Life Force Arts Center gallery, 1609 W Belmont, Chicago IL 60657. Opening Reception is Earth Day weekend, Saturday, April 21, 2012, from 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM. Closing Reception is Tuesday, June 19,  2012, from 6 – 10 PM. Gallery hours are Mondays and Thursdays 1:30 – 6:30 PM, and by appointment. Admission to the exhibit and Opening and Closing receptions is free. For more information, please contact Joan Forest Mage, Executive Director, (773) 327-7224, joan@LifeForceArts.org.

For centuries, the Green World of plants has been the model of beauty and aesthetic form that humans in cultures worldwide have imitated in countless drawings, paintings, sculptures, and photographs. In addition, there are arts such as landscaping and flower arranging that utilize plants themselves as the artistic medium.

“An actual rose is the most perfect artwork,” says Joan Forest Mage, Life Force Arts Center’s Executive Director, who along with Artists Steven Blaine Adams and Judy Demchuk created the concept of the exhibit. “In Bridge to Eden, we honor the Green World as a conscious, artistic creator and colleague. This raises thought-provoking issues about what is art, what is creation, and who is Creator. We asked participating human artists to work from a consciousness of co-creating art together with the Green World by incorporating live plants into their artwork in safe and respectful ways. The exhibit also highlights artwork made from natural plant material: wood carving, oil on canvas, Sumi ink on rice paper.”

Many of the pieces remind us of the human interaction with the world of vegetation, including the gifts of food, medicine, clothing, furniture and housing that plants give us. We explore how a conscious and reciprocal relationship between humans and the Green World can help us create a new Eden, an ideal place where life flourishes harmoniously.

Bridge to Eden: The Green World as Artist is the second of three art exhibits Life Force Arts Center (LFAC) is presenting that explore the theme of “animal-vegetable-mineral”: humans’ relationship with their fellow dwellers on Earth. In addition to the art exhibit, LFAC will present other events related to the Green World, including performances, lectures, and workshops on aromatherapy, herbal healing, and vegetarian cooking.

Life Force Arts Foundation (LFAF) presents artistically excellent, spiritually based visual, literary, and performing art. We define spiritual art as art that flows from spiritual practice, art that strives to connect the audience with Spirit, and art that creates spiritual awakening, healing, or evolution. We focus on the arts as a common ground of human expression, where artists and audiences of diverse spiritual traditions can honor each other, and share their personal and collective experiences of the spiritual aspect of life. LFAF’s goals are to develop spiritual artists, the spiritual arts audience, and the spiritual arts community. LFAF advances the field of spiritual art through events and publications that promote awareness of the art-spirituality connection.  Life Force Arts Foundation operates Life Force Arts Center (LFAC), Chicago’s spiritual art gallery and performance space, which presents visual art exhibits, dance, theater, and music performances, author book signings, and workshops with artists who are experts in spiritual artmaking.