Caroline Orner

The following statement is a part of an ongoing process of my personal develompent, and evolving philosophy, rooted in my vision of art as a reflection of humankind and its relationship to the Universe.

In creating my paintings I have chosen to use oil color in a wax emulsion medium. Wax is an ancient artist's material that reflects my interest in ancient, sacred and hidden knowledge. As my creative process developed symmetrically, forms began to emerge in a more fundamental way, leading to my discovery of the circle, triangle and square.

I found that concepts related to these elemental geometric forms are primary to man's basic nature and relate to the structure and essence of the Universe. These forms hold great power and have deep significance in the unconscious realm of our being, inherent not only in myself but to all humankind and connect us as one.

My paintings may appear at first to be patterns of texture, form and color, however, their real effect is located exclusively within a veiwer's interior reactions. Beneath these seemingly simplistic shapes lies a greater message, available to anyone who wishes to seek beyond the initial surfaces. Nothing universal to man is difficult to comprehend or understand. It is available to all who seek.

My work speaks to a shared universal quietness in us all, a primordial sense of being a part of a greater whole of cosmic forces creating an order and reason for all things. There exists a centered place within all mankind where one can reach for understanding, self-discovery and experience meaning; a place to see one's own basic perfection as a part of the all perfect cosmos.

Our reality is but a pale reflection of the enormous scope of the universal phenomena. Only after we look deeply at what is being revealed before us can we appreciate our own intrinsic goodness and perfection. A clear understanding of the beauty and essence of nature's delicate balances will allow us to see each individual being as unique, with his or her own special place, as a participant in life's ongoing evolution.

Throughout history, Eastern as well as Western cultures have employed the use of simple geometric forms to express universal concepts. Our geometric knowledge is innate in us all. Geometry deals with pure form and has a primary subsistence in the soul, acquired from the realm of ideal beauty. There are three primary forms in geometry: the circle, the triangle, and the square. The circle represents One; infinite life consciousness, unity, and is a symbol for God. The inner space represents the Void. The triangle represents the trinity of universal forces: positive, negative and neutral. It is also the symbol for Love, Wisdom and Power. The square represents the crossing of any opposites to create a new form. It is a symbol for the Earth, Man, the four elements, the four directions and the four seasons.

Man has an organic need to connect with the recurrent cycles of the Universe, a need for reconciling acts of faith with nature, and a need for alignment with the cosmic forces, as exemplified throughout man's history in unified acts of art, religion and science. Stonehenge, the Great Pyramids, Borobudur, the Mayan Temples, and the Cathedral of Chartres are important examples.

My paintings are about being centered with the cosmic forces of universal energy, and the geometric forms speak to that experience.