VAN BANKSTON
“To come to the knowledge you have not
You must go by a way in which you know not.”
St. John of the Cross
These paintings further my spiritual evolution away from materialism and the status quo. I aspire to raise consciousness through the process of painting, the importance of which is expressed as much by what is not there as by what is there.
My art is an invitation to enter a contemplative space where the mind is free of absolutes and may experience and know the satisfaction of the present moment through the abstract essences color, balance, line, form, and texture.
The power of viewing art can be an enlightening experience for the viewer who is open to exploring self. My art is about the relationship between myself and the painting, the painting and the viewer, and the viewer with him or herself.
I hope my paintings are experienced as a state of serenity, equilibrium, and wellbeing: a respite, in which one can detach and declutter, making space to create self through claiming and knowing self.
For me this experience is best represented and evoked through simplicity, thereby relinquishing one’s identity of all influences, and deconstructing the familiarity of the past. The absence of absolute resolution frees our mind and renews our covenant with the present moment, the only time we can experience peace and joy.
I was born and grew up in the Mississippi Delta. I have degrees in landscape architecture, education, and theology. I also studied at the New York School of Interior Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. After years in New York City as an interior designer, I returned to Mississippi and worked full time as an artist, which ultimately led to a call to the priesthood. I have serviced as an Episcopal priest since 2012. I live in Belfast, Maine with my husband.
140405 Acrylic on Canvas 48 x 48
$3,500.00
150405 Acrylic on Canvas 30x30
$2,800.00
210901 Acrylic on Canvas 42x42
$3,200.00
180901 Acrylic on Canvas 42x42
$3,200.00
260901 Acrylic on Canvas 42x42
$3,200.00
060105 Acrylic on Canvas 48x48
$3,700.00
160105 Acrylic on Canvas 48x48
$3,700.00
070105 Acrylic on Canvas 48x48
$3,700.00
130107 Acrylic on Canvas 36x36
$3,200.00