The Beatitudes: Heaven in earth
The Beatitudes: Heaven in earth series was purchased by McMaster Divinity College and permanently installed in the front entrance of McMaster Divinity College, McMaster University, Hamilton, in March 2020.
THE BEATITUDES: Heaven in earth
ARTIST STATEMENT
HEAVEN in earth merges two of my series: ceramic sculptures of from my spiritual experiences; and, sunset photographs of Superior, the world’s largest fresh-water lake, and my first home.
In the two decades between 1995 to 2014, I began a creative process in the midst of deep grief and loss in relationships. As I processed my experiences, images were perceived and sculpted; and, during this process specific words were also captured, which I later researched and expanded for true-ness in meaning.
For the next couple of years, I curated the pieces into a series with eight of my favourite Superior sunset photographs (I have 1000’s), and I realized that this series was in fact The Beatitudes—Jesus’s contemplative words from The Gospel of Matthew (Ch. 5, v. 3-10)—which I had been meditating on for these decades.
I organized the sculptures and photographs into stations to invite the viewer into a process of contemplation; you are encouraged to take some time contemplating Jesus’s eight declarations: the postures of earth and the colours of Heaven—states of being beyond happy, of heavenly blithe—the blessed state of Heaven, now truly in earth!
Elizabeth Brooks
Jesus’s Light metaphor for summing up the Beatitudes:
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!
Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
HEAVEN IN EMPTINESS
STATION 1
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
HEAVEN: Old Eng. "heofon: home of God
EMPTINESS: Latin "inanitas", empty space; "worthlessness"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print 2014.
$230
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COM-FORT IN BROKEN-HEART
STATION 2
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
COM-FORT: Latin con-fortare, “Together - strengthen”
BROKEN-HEART: Old English, brecan, “to disclose”; 13c. heorte “spirit, inner strength”
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print, 2014.
$280
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HEIR IN MEEKNESS
STATION 3
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
INHERIT: Latin inhereditare, “to appoint as heir”
MEEKNESS: in the Bible, Latin mansuetus “to tame”, literally “to accustom to the hand” as meek power in a stallion under bridle; anger: rightness of action at right time; Old Norse, mjukr, “soft, pliant, gentle”, Gothic: muka-modei “slimy, mud, humility"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print, 2014.
$300
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SATISFIED IN TRUTH
STATION 4
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
SATISFIED: Old English sæd "sated, full"
TRUTH: Old English triewe,"trustworthy, honest, faithfulness, fidelity, loyalty; veracity, quality of being true; pledge, covenant", Latin veracitatem "truthfulness"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print, 2014.
$500
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MERCY IN MILD-HEARTEDNESS
STATION 5
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
MERCY: 9 c. Old French mercit, merci, "reward, gift; kindness, grace, pity"
MILD-HEARTEDNESS: Old English mildheortness; 13c. Old French pite, pitet, "pity, mercy, compassion, care, tenderness; pitiful state, wretched condition"; Latin pietatem, "piety, loyalty, duty"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print, 2014.
$300
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BEHOLD in PURE HEART
STATION 6
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
BEHOLD: Old English bihaldan “give regard to". also "to keep hold of, to belong to."
PURE: Latin purus "clear, clear, unmixed, unalloyed; Mer "gleaming spirit"
HEART: O.E. heorte: "heart; soul, spirit, will, desire; courage; mind”
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print 2014.
$250
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INHABIT IN PEACEMAKING
STATION 7
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
INHABIT: 12c. Latin inhabitare "to dwell in,"; habere "hold, have" as a place to live as true family together
PEACE: Latin pacem “to covenant, agree”;
MAKING: Latin poietic, “making, producing"
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition, digital print 2014.
$350
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REGAL IN PRESSURE
STATION 8
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
REGAL: Latin, regalis: "royal; of or belonging to royalty”
PRESSURE: Old French, presseure: "oppression; anguish”, “pressure” Diamonds are created with pressure and heat and, formed more than 150 km deep within the earth’s mantle.
Limited edition, hand-burnished porcelain, gold leaf; limited edition digital print, 2014.
$250
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