Sandy Sokoloff Paintings
-
'Santa Maria Maggiore'_42 x 84 inches, acrylic on canvas 2024
The 'Eye of God' (Oculus from Latin 'eye'; pl: oculi) is a circular opening in the center of a dome or in a wall. Originating in antiquity, it is a feature of Byzantine and neoclassical architecture.
This work is based on the geometry of the ceiling of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, Italy.
I begin each painting by constructing a linear geometry and only when satisfied with the composition will I introduce color. I consider geometry to be sacred but recognize that it is a form of mathematics and must be consciously constructed. Once resolved, it becomes a facade for the light which defines the act of painting. Color is Light and is divinely inspired - after 60 years of painting my vocabulary of sensory experiences is extensive enough so that every application of new color demands a response which seems predetermined. Working in a forgiving medium (acrylic paint) allows me to constantly change color, layer over layer until I achieve an inevitable balance and the light in the work is as it must be. -
'Our Lady of Évreux '_ 65 x 96 inches, acrylic on canvas 2024
Based on the geometry of the ceiling of Notre Dame Cathedral, Evreux, Normandy -
'The Blue Mosque'_65 x 96 inches, acrylic on canvas 2023
Based on the geometry of the ceiling of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istabbul, Turkey -
'Santa Maria Assunta (Assumption)'_35 x 45 inches, acrylic on canvas 2023
Based on the ceiling of the Santa Maria Assunta church in Assergi, Italy. -
'Guardian Angel'_70 x 120 inches, acrylic on canvas 2021
Begun in May 2021, I finished this painting in September of that year. It is the largest canvas I’ve done in the last 25 years and completes a cycle I began with the Sephirot paintings in 2016. Essentially, it contains all the formal elements I have worked with throughout this period and attempts to resolve the aesthetic issues I have been grappling with. The viewer’s perception must be of a central protective shield (the guardian) which nonetheless fades in and out (seen and not seen) and cannot be contained by the eight surrounding spheres. Further, huge angel’s wings at left and right contain the final two of the ten kabbalistic spheres (Sephirot). An angel spoke to me once. It was 35 years ago – a voice as perfect and clear as a bell imparting guidance I have attempted to follow ever since.
