Ashes and Atmosphere Swirls of Spirituality --with Wayne Gilbert
Ashes and Atmosphere Swirls of Spirituality
(as seen in Voices of Art Magazine; Courtesy of David Freeman)
Image: Courtesy of Gabriel Diego Delgado
Ashes and Atmosphere Swirls of Spirituality
Wayne Gilbert, Owner and Gallery Director of G Gallery in Houston, makes metaphysical painterly masterpieces, using unclaimed creation ashes. His paintings-explorations of human remains as artistic medium, draws the viewer in; becoming a unique and integral aspect signature of Wayne’s work. As humans we question our very essence, the birth and death cycle, the notion of life after death, and the why are we here? Wayne attempts to theoretically answer some of those questions with his art as he conceptually connects us with the “people” in his paintings.
All neutral browns, greys, and earth tones- the cremation remains are an intrinsic and relative association of man to dust; an overt and sometimes distinct biblical notion “from dust to dust”. Wayne says, “On a fall day in 1998 the idea crossed my mind that I could use human remains in the construction of my paintings. I felt immediately that I had connected with an idea that could provide me with the mystical medium I needed to clearly convey my personal relationship to art… and thereby introduce the essence of a human being ‘integral to the piece’. The work could then address the Philosophy, Psychology, Theology, Historical, Social, Esthetic aspects and ideas.”
Wayne goes onto say that when families choose the cremation process for their deceased kin, what a lot of people don’t realize is that you receive back about 13-14 lbs. of human ashes, “So if they want to spread Uncle John’s ashes in his favorite pond, ocean or location normally you don’t just dump it and go.. you scatter the ashes, but people don’t like to try and scatter pounds and pounds of ash… so they end up keeping a bunch of it in a box in the closet or something, not knowing what to do with it”- that is where Wayne comes in. He mentions that when people drop off cremation ashes to him he instructs them that when they hand over the remains, he will be courteous and respectful but they have no say in how he will use them as a medium and cannot instruct him what subject matter they would like visually.
Evident of this desire to change from subject matter to conceptual abstract can been seen in “Different Strokes for Different Strokes”- one of Wayne’s signature art pieces, a vertical painting consisting of crematory strata of different earth color tones; each stripe being a different person’s remains. With stripes stacked on each other- this painting embodies the plausible social norms ranging from the micro-stacking of bodies for funeral mausoleums and memorial walls to the macro- social aspects of urban living. What has to be reevaluated in viewing this piece is the simple fact that when we look at “Different Strokes for Different Strokes” we are merely seeing the physical attributions of one’s skin color, the hue reflective of an ethnic or cultural heritage. Drawing a very complicated overtone of racial equality, this artwork is displaying firsthand the overtly simplistic artistic version of our own identity and questioning our societal conflicts of how skin color is only a superficial difference- announcing beyond this color barrier variance- we are all the same, in a universal sense.
However, legally Wayne is not breaking any laws, and has inquired on numerous occasions with lawyers, judges, and other officials- questioning any illegitimacy. Wayne says in the ten years he has been working with the medium of cremation ashes, he’s never had issues with anyone except one museum cancelling an exhibition because of unknown reasons, around what Wayne calls- “them not being confident enough to define or defend the exhibition.” One things Wayne wants to make clear is the fact that he does not do funerary art or memorialization(s). He is an avid advocate of the Fine Art realm and stays true to the concepts of Modern Art, often mimicking styles, movements, artists, etc. in his art; proving over and over again his innate understanding and appreciation of Art History and all the concepts and theories there within.
Nevertheless, with an unending desire for knowledge, universal truth and understanding, Wayne is working on his Masters in Humanities. Consistent in his art as well as his life choices, Wayne’s life philosophy is “If you wait for life to make sense, you will miss it.”
Simple graphic cues in other artworks are almost deliberately mundane, not quite inviting and not quite blasphemous; like a black cross, reflective of the Red Cross emergency health service provider logo, or a simplistic outsider art rendition of a quasi-suburban house-complete with symmetrical hedge and shrubbery and a walkup sidewalk. Until, you are met with and are aware of the underlying mediums and intentions of Wayne Gilbert do you then have a definitive personal reaction. Running risk of more shock value than aesthetic principle, Wayne’s work can be provocative or a one-liner gimmick, depending on individual views. However, taken into account a very sincere gesture for understanding the universe, Wayne Gilbert’s disregard for artistic highbrow mentality is evident in his down to earth Texas charm, making for a reevaluated assertion of his artistic purpose; cementing a respectable connection between viewer, his artwork, and the unanimous people’s remains.
Wayne comments on the nature of using such a medium in art as a conversation starter and audience inquiry magnet, he says, “My hope is that the relationship between my art and humanity can promote endless questioning of our unique existence and how it relates to our interaction with this mysterious journey.”
In conclusion, Wayne closes with a quote from his website, “I hope that somebody passing by my work will sense that it has meaning for them and that I am trying to convey a kinship with them as well as all humans through our shared mortality ..None of us understands the mystery of life and death, but I hope the viewer sees my art as a confirmation that we all pass the same way in our brief but fascinating experience, that the gratification of living outweighs the suffering of misfortune and the inevitability of death.”
© Gabriel Diego Delgado
Voices of Art Magazine
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