Amorphous Artwork

With the likes of books such as Rhonda Bryne's "The Secret.” James Redfield's “The Celestine Prophesy” and numerous other self-help guides telling us that we are masters of our own destinies and that there is some common fabric to the universe linking us together: thoughts, objects, oceans, animals, mankind, God, the lot, is it really time for us to acknowledge the connections between such apparently 'universal laws' and our day-to-day existence? Canadian artist Kevin Harney would argue that such seeming coincidences are part of the intricate connections that become manifest when we are in tune with ourselves, our surroundings and our goals, that everything is connected. A practising Buddhist, Harney believes that his faith can be witnessed in his art, that like the sacred art of indigenous peoples, whether it be Norther American Indians, the Mexican Huichol or the Australian Aboriginal populations, contemporary art should also maintain its commitment to reflecting somehow the spirit of the human soul and the sublime nature of the universe. Harney's works offer an exploration of his philosophy and demonstrates how ancient ideology can still be expressed in a highly modern and contemporary manner. For example the gems of Harney's work are surely his “Connectile Series”, which feature digital prints on ceramic tiles, merging the traditional tile with the contemporary medium of computer aided artistic expression. Similarly his impressive Mandalas are like cosmic maps of the universe or architectural plans of the mind, reflecting the infinite intricacies and possibilities of our existence; while his tribute to the Huichol sacred object 'Ojo de Dios' (Eye of God), is a free and exuberant representation of the powerful Mexican symbol printed on stainless steel and adorned with a range of materials. What Harney teaches us is that life, like art, is simply a series of experiments, interrelations and intuitions that lead us to the next step, the next challenge, the next success.