November 28, 2014- February 2, 2015
Community of Jesus, Orleans, MA
The Contemplation of The Light of the World
Currently on display in the gallery of the Patmos Art Centre and the Church of the Transfiguration, is the work of two artists whose contemplation of the sacred is expressed in abstraction. The pursuit of abstraction has always been about one kind of purity or another—pure form, pure color, pure paint. The establishment of the genre in the Early Modern era was accompanied by one artist’s manifesto after another, each declaring the transcendence of their ideal as they slipped the moorings of conventional content.
Filippo Rossi and Susan Kanaga both draw inspiration for their work directly from their Christian faith. Elaborate layering of both traditional and non-traditional material, the distillation of form, and the focused application of color and texture found on the surfaces of their work recalls the loving labor of Renaissance or Medieval masters. The work of both artists invites the viewer to undertake the journey into sacred themes of hope and salvation.
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Filippo Rossi
Filippo Rossi has exhibited since 1994, and for the past 10 years has been exploring themes of Christian sacred art. He studied with Vignozzi, Stefanelli, and D’Elia, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in art history from Florence University. Since 1997, Rossi has been Visiting Professor at the Florentine Study Centre of Stanford University. He is presently Coordinator of the Office of Sacred Art and Church Cultural Heritage. His works are in Italian and foreign collections and museums. In 2011 Rossi was called by the Florence Cathedral Foundation (Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore) to take part in the competition for a pulpit for the cathedral. He works with leading Italian publishers and is currently working on a project for the Community of Bose. The latest personal exhibits: Museum of the Portiuncula in Assisi, Confraternity of the Misericordia of Florence, Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Monastery of Camaldoli in Arezzo, Abbaye Notre-Dame de Boscodon in Crots (France).
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Susan Kanaga
A native of Kansas City, Susan Kanaga has been a member of the Community of Jesus since 1983. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting from the Maine College of Art, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Denver and an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies from Rockhurst College. Susan also studied mosaic in Ravenna, Italy, as an apprentice to Master Mosaicist Alessandra Caprara of Mosaici Antichi e Moderni, and helped fabricate the mosaic floor of the Church of the Transfiguration. In 2004 Susan was commissioned to design a creation cycle of stone sculpture for the Atrium of the Church of the Transfiguration. Susan has also been represented by Rowley Gallery, Orleans, Massachusetts, and her work has been featured in exhibitions in Detroit, Michigan; Portland, Maine; Kansas City, Kansas and Panzano in Chianti. Susan is currently living in Lucca, Italy, while pursuing a Master’s Degree, with emphasis on abstract sacred art, studying under the direction of Dr. Filippo Rossi.
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